Target: You
by strawberries
Summary: AU Yami Bakura x Anzu Being the most lethal bounty hunter in the known universe, Anzu is used to hitting her targets. ...And she's set her gunsight on the wantedbylaw Bakura, a prince and illegal trader. Yet, they both have pasts to guide them with a
1. Chapter One

Target: You

Chapter One  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yuugiou. If that isn't disappointing enough, I also have to acknowledge the fact that I will, therefore, never get to own Bakura nor Malik. More's the pity...  
  
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IMPORTANT! Okay, I am only going to say this once, and it IS important. This is an Alternate Universe, and I mean, a true Alternate Universe. There are no yamis, no Yuugi & Co. (though I may add one of two of them), no Duel Monsters (sorry), no Ancient Egyptian pasts, etc. If you are looking for something like that, this story won't be for you. I have never written a Bakura/Anzu; I didn't even like the pairing for the longest time, but I've decided to try it out. This fic takes place in the year 2655. There's spaceships, aliens, etc. I hope you will like this fic, but if it's too off the charts for you, no hard feelings. Please read on.   
  
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Giving one last glance at her ship to ensure that it was docked properly and safely, the beautiful brunette entered the space port. She flipped her shoulder-length tresses behind her and dabbed under her eyes at the beginnings of perspiration. The space ports in these parts were always so damned warm. She mused that it was probably the natives on the planets nearby; they were used to warmer weather than she was.  
  
Once she was inside the smaller space port than what she was used to, she looked around for a bar or restaurant to order a drink. She ignored the numerous stares she was receiving; she was used to it. She spotted a bar and approached it purposefully. She definitely needed to stock up better on drinks for her next mission. She also needed more bullets for her bullet gun.  
  
She took a seat at the bar and ordered a strawberry daiquiri: her favorite drink. Its cool, thick flavor slid down her parched throat in just the right way. After the bartender returned with her drink, he looked down at her feet, and his solid white eyes widened tenfold.  
  
"Lady, we don't allow... abnormally large cats... in our facility," he told her hesitantly, eyeing the black monstrosity with obvious wariness. She glanced down at her pet, then back at her drink.  
  
"Kitten."  
  
"I beg your pardon?" he asked dumbfoundedly. She set down her drink and looked him straight in the eye for a few moments before answering.  
  
"Chisara is a kitten," she clarified. He chuckled nervously, but didn't press it any further once he noticed the gleaming guns hanging off each of her hips.  
  
"Get me two cheeseburgers -- plain -- and an order of teriyaki chicken," she requested, reading off of the Earth menu. He eyed her thin figure which was barely hidden underneath her small and tight, red bodice which was full pants, but a mere tank top to cover her chest.  
  
"Where do you put it?" he joked. She raised a perfectly sculpted brow at him.  
  
"In her mouth, of course," she replied. He seemed confused before realization dawned in his eyes due to the soft growling coming from the girl's feet.  
  
After eating her meal, the black cat purred with satisfaction. "Chisara, go guard my ship," the girl told the eight-month-old pet whom obediently left the space port to wait beside the ship.  
  
The bartender looked up from wiping a glass as his superb hearing, thanks to his large ears, picked up hushed voices at the other end of the bar.  
  
"Did you see that cat? That's the girl! They call her the Angel of Death," one man said confidentially.  
  
"Why the Angel of Death?" the other man whispered in awe. Each man looked at the vivacious brunette who was polishing off her drink.  
  
"She's a bounty hunter, and a damn good one, too! Once she's set her target, there's no escaping," the first man said with sincere finality.  
  
The bartender looked from the two men to the girl again. So, she was THE Angel of Death? He would never have guessed the infamous Angel of Death to be a mere eighteen to twenty years old. However, now he knew why she was called the Angel of Death. How could something so angelic-looking and beautiful be a deadly bounty hunter?  
  
The girl pushed her glass further forward on the bar and placed a few dollars underneath it. She stood from her stool and straightened her skin- tight shirt. She looked down the bar at the two men and bartender who were avoiding her gaze.  
  
"By the way," she started, getting their attention, "I don't like that nickname." She smirked and sauntered out of the bar, buying a few boxes of bullets as she exited the space port. She didn't glance behind her, but the three men at the bar gawked at her as she left.  
  
"Are you ready to go, Chisara?" she asked, and the sleek cat stood from her resting place, immediately walking around the ship towards the entrance. The ship wasn't exceptionally large, but it was fast... damn fast. Moreover, it was the perfect size for herself and her cat. They each had their own sleeping room, and there was also a bathroom and small office besides the normal control room.  
  
Once aboard the ship, Chisara went straight toward her sleeping room, fully intending to get a few more hours rest. She was smart enough to know that her mistress was preparing to start another mission. To be sure, her beloved pet was more reliable than her gun. They were partners and completely inseparable.  
  
The girl went to the control room to begin setting her ship for lift-off. "This is the Fatal Rose; permission for take-off," she called into the microphone. She waited a few moments before the expected reply came back.  
  
"Fatal Rose, permission granted. Clear for take-off in five."  
  
She finished setting her ship's controls before taking a seat in front of the glass panel which was currently overlooking the five or so other ships docked at the space port. After the allotted time of five minutes had passed, she glanced in Chisara's room to be sure that she was asleep and the gravity simulator was on before pressing the neon green 'take-off' button. The ship jolted and the girl and cat felt the familiar pull of the artificial gravity as the ship lifted off into the pitch black space.  
  
She yawned and pulled off her red stilettos, tossing them behind her haphazardly. She barely noticed the red message light blinking in the corner and rose to flip it on. Sitting back down, she listened to the recorder tell her she had one message. Soon enough, an old friend's face appeared on the vidscreen.  
  
"Hey, hey, Anzu! I just received this new wanted notice, and it sounded like something you might be interested in. I've faxed it over, but I'm sure you haven't checked, so go look now! Later, love!" She grinned as his face disappeared off the screen. Flirty, little ass. He had been right though. She slowly stood to check her faxes, throwing away the few 'junk faxes' about possible trips to Planet Pleasure, a vacationing planet. She finally came upon her friend's fax and, as assumed, it was a notice about a new bounty. Her eyes skimmed the page, mumbling to herself as they did.  
  
"Prince Bakura... twenty-six years old... head of underground illegal trading company... possible murder..." It was all things she'd heard before. Criminals were all the same. She flipped to the second page, and her eyes widened slightly. Well, some things apparently weren't the same. None of her previous clients had been so... beautiful.  
  
"Stop that, Anzu," she scolded herself after a few minutes. "Okay, Jounouchi, you've found a good one. He's my target now."  
  
- - -  
  
His chocolate eyes narrowed, and he crossed his pale arms over his chest. A nerve tensed in his forehead giving him a headache to fuel his anger. His ivory hair hung disheveled in his face, and he violently shoved it away. Another man, a few years younger than him, came to stand next to him. His own blond hair was layered and groomed neatly. Nevertheless, they were both handsome men.  
  
"Ah, cousin, I see you are wanted for a hefty price," he joked, looking at the vidscreen. The older man glared down at him.  
  
"Malik, this is no joking matter! And I'm not your real cousin!" he added as an angry afterthought. Malik raised an eyebrow at this.  
  
"You're not? I thought our mothers being sisters made us cousins, Bakura," he said sarcastically. Bakura scowled; he hated having a point proven against him, especially when he was angry.  
  
"For illegal trading, sure, but I haven't murdered anyone... yet," he sneered, his eyes boring into the wanted notice. Malik snickered beside him.  
  
"Maybe they meant 'various torture methods' instead of 'possible murder,'" he suggested mercilessly. Bakura bared his canines at Malik who was used to it by now and stood undaunted.  
  
"Who knows," Malik continued airily, "maybe some beautiful bounty huntress will come and sweep you off your feet."  
  
Bakura rolled his eyes at his cousin. "Oh, yes, I would be swept from my feet due to the impact of the bullet she would place in me. Never mind that though; who heard of female bounty hunters?"  
  
Malik's eyes widened. "You mean you haven't?"  
  
Bakura tilted his head in an annoyed manner. "Does it look like I have?"  
  
Malik smirked, obviously finding great rivalry pleasure in knowing something his cousin didn't, no matter how small and insignificant it was. Long-time rivals they had been, ever since their days as toddlers, struggling to get to the ball or robot dog before the other. Both of their mothers died when they were mere children, and after their fathers had died unexpectedly later on in their lives, the rivalry grew because each man wanted to be the supreme head of the company. Malik cleared his throat smugly.  
  
"Well, they call her the Angel of Death because it is most befitting. I've never seen her; however, people who have claim that she is just that--an Angel."  
  
Bakura rolled his eyes again. "If she is, indeed, a woman, then she could hardly be a good bounty hunter."  
  
"We shall see when she shows up in your bedroom at night with a gun poised to your head," Malik replied. They both enjoyed a hearty laugh, neither of them believing that very thing could happen.  
  
"Come along then. We have some punishments to deliver, and we'll have security doubled," Malik informed him, flipping off the vidscreen with Bakura's headshot, flashing 'WANTED' under it. Malik had never had a bounty on his head, but Bakura suspected that his cousin might find that prospect exciting if he ever did. The man was too insolent for his own good.  
  
"Who this time?" Bakura asked boredly. Malik held out a hand, tallying up his fingers.  
  
"Well, not anyone of importance now that I think about it. Just a few servants, you know," Malik replied, pursing his lips. Bakura knew he was thirsting for more punishments to give out. But he knew his cousin couldn't help it. So was he.  
  
"Oh," Malik began, remembering something, "and the new contract is complete. You know, that account you wanted to do differently." He frowned, but Bakura nodded and quickened his pace.  
  
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I hope I haven't scared anyone away! If you like it so far, then great; that makes me really happy! But if you don't, I understand. :/ Please review anyway and tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter Two

Target: You

Chapter Two  
  
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Anzu absently stroked her pet's velvetty head. Chisara purred quietly at her feet, although the sound came out more like a growl than a purr. Another purr aboard the ship -- this one coming from the engine -- was promptly putting Anzu to sleep. However, she kept shaking herself awake. She had already had plenty of sleep on her week-long journey. Any more would make her drowsy, and she needed to be at complete awareness when she tracked her bounty.  
  
She eyed the gleaming silver planet an hour's journey ahead of her. It was a planet that served as a safe haven for crimelords of all types; however, most of the crimelords did not have enough evidence against them for any type of persecution. Luckily for Anzu, her target did. She had only ever been to Yamisha once before, but that was a time she'd rather forget; it was a journey filled with remorse.  
  
She shook her head to rid herself of her thoughts. She needed to be aware, not thinking of the past. She patted Chisara and stood to get herself a glass of water. Her pet's golden orbs followed her around the ship protectively. Anzu had saved Chisara on this very planet seven and a half months ago. She had been a mere two weeks old, and Anzu had been forced to bottle-feed the poor baby when her mother had been slain.  
  
She shook her head again. She needed to be aware, damnit! She reached around the back of her head and felt her hair. She flinched at the greasiness. She hesitantly sniffed her underarm. She flinched again.  
  
"Well, Chisara, I am going to shower," she murmured, standing as she did.  
  
Stepping under the hot stream of water, she soaped her body with rose- flavored body wash. Using rose-flavored shampoo and conditioner, she cleansed her hair, as well. She inhaled deeply, taking the steam into her chest.  
  
She glanced at the clock and realized she had twenty minutes until landing. She quickly stepped into the warm air emitter to dry herself. Throwing on a duplicate red outfit, she entered the controls room and quickly turned on the vidscreen.  
  
"This is the Fatal Rose, requesting permission for landing," she said, slipping on her stilettos. After a few minutes, her expected reply came back.  
  
"What is your business here, Fatal Rose?" a gruff voice asked suspiciously. Oh, yes, she remembered this place. They were suspicious of every single person entering the planet; they simply couldn't let a bounty hunter or intergalaxy police in.  
  
"I am here for Prince Bakura on business that is my own," she said in a tone that brooked no argument. Luck was on her side because after a few moments, she was permitted landing.  
  
She secured Chisara in her landing cage before taking her seat again at the controls. As the Fatal Rose entered Yamisha's atmosphere, the ship began to shake expectedly. She ignored the queasiness that she was used to by now. Instead of docking at the main port, she set her coordinates at the last minute to land off to the side where people would be scarce. Once the ship was landed and safely secured, she clicked her tongue twice to let Chisara know to follow her, but not make a sound. The cat leapt at the order and padded out of the ship after Anzu as silent as can be. Anzu held her bullet gun in one hand and her laser gun in the other, both poised at the ready. However, they weren't put to use at this time since she escaped the port without incident. She wondered briefly at her luck, but didn't ponder too long. She glanced behind her, but as always, her faithful cat was right at her heels.  
  
Now she had to find this Prince's headquarters. The planet itself was only about the size of her homeplanet's continent, Australia, and the notice her friend had faxed her said that he was located in the south quadrant of the planet which was where she was docked. She spotted a small building just ahead of her and opted to ask if anyone there knew where Bakura was located. She spoke the universal language fluently, but she faked an accent for benefit.  
  
"Me be excused. Seeking Bakura of Prince. You know, yes?" she asked with an innocent smile, nudging down her top for the fat guard's benefit. He grinned as he looked her up and down purposefully, baring a toothless mouth. She restrained the urge to cringe.  
  
"So, you're looking for Prince Bakura? He's at his headquarters about five miles south of here," he said, reaching a hand out to feel her bared thigh.  
  
"Oh, sank you, sank you!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands and tossing her hair.  
  
"So, how are you going to pay me back for my help?" he asked her with another toothless grin.  
  
"Somezing I give for you," she said seductively, kneeling down in front of him. She pulled out her hidden laser gun and fired it into his gut. "Chauvinistic pig," she said sweetly as she stood, and he fell.  
  
She glanced around to see if there were any onlookers which there weren't. She clicked her tongue for Chisara, and they both started heading south, using the shadows to hide them. After about an hour, the odd yet beautiful pair descended upon a gleaming silver corporation. Anzu raised a brow at its large size. She eyed each entrance, guarded by men; unfortunately, all were awake. This would take a little more time than she had expected, but she had done this same routine countless times on other bounties.  
  
- - -  
  
Bakura stirred in his sleep, sensing another presence. Suddenly, his eyes shot open. He gasped slightly at the feel of a laser gun pressed into the side of his head. He felt the weight of surprisingly soft, feminine body straddling him. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, they widened. One thought sprung to mind: the Angel of Death. By all rights, she should have already fired the gun, but she was staring at him strangely.  
  
He took advantage of her temporary stupor and knocked the gun from her hand, flipping her over, so that he was on top. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he growled. She grabbed for her bullet gun, but he quickly knocked it from her hands and held them both above her head. She had a dazed look in her eye which caught him off-guard.  
  
"Preparing to kill you," she replied breathlessly, flipping them back over. She stared down at him with his glorious, ivory mane laying disheveled about him.  
  
"How did you get in here?" he growled. He gripped her arms tightly and flipped them over yet again, so that he was back on top.  
  
"How did you know I got in here?" she countered. Before he could reply, however, she had yelled, "Chisara!"  
  
"Holy shit!" Bakura yelled as an enormous black cat leapt on him and knocked him clean off of Anzu. As he struggled to pry the cat off of him before it sank its teeth into his person, Anzu took that opportunity to knee him in the gut earning a loud groan and jumped on top to straddle him again. She clicked her tongue twice and Chisara leapt gracefully off of the bed and behind the curtains. She had her hands wrapped around Bakura's throat when his door was slammed open, and an irritated blond stormed in.  
  
"Bakura, can't you keep your sadistic lovemaking quiet? Some of us are tired!" Malik accused, eying the distasteful scene of his cousin's supposed lover trying to choke him.  
  
"Fool! She is not my mistress; she is my assassin!" Bakura choked out in obvious -- yet strained -- irritation. Anzu's eyes didn't leave her target as she continued trying to strangle him. She had been interrupted before. This intruder would die soon enough.  
  
"You mean... the Angel of Death really did come into your room in the middle of the night and hold a gun to your head?" Malik asked in surprise. At her unwelcome nickname, Anzu paused in her choking long enough to see who was intruding upon them. Her eyes widened, and she howled in anger.  
  
"YOU!" She jumped off of Bakura and lunged herself at Malik. Unsuspecting, he caught her as they both tumbled to the ground. Bakura gaped at them from his place on the bed. One minute, she had been trying to murder him, and now she was trying to murder his cousin?  
  
"Witch, he's the one with the bounty on his head, not me!" Malik shouted, fighting off her punching fists. Bakura glared at his cousin, but Malik and Anzu were both too preoccupied to notice.  
  
"You should have one on your head, you murderer!" she screamed back, her fist making contact with his nose. He howled and clutched at his nose briefly.  
  
"I know I have a list of bad things I've done, but I assure you, murder is not on that list!" he cried in disbelief, catching her other fist before it made contact, too.  
  
"I saw you!" she screamed with rage, tugging against his tight grip.  
  
"Don't just sit there; get the guards!" Malik shouted at Bakura. The ivory- haired prince snapped out of his stupor and yelled for the guards who were there in an instant. In another instant, Anzu had been hauled to her feet and delivered a vicious blow to the back of her neck. She fell limp in the guards' arms. Just as she was being dragged from the room, Bakura remembered Chisara.  
  
"Wait! The cat from hell! It's behind the curtains; get it out of here and leave it with that bitch assassin!" he ordered. The guards didn't have to do any looking because Chisara had already run out from behind the curtains and was nudging her owner in the leg, making a whining noise.  
  
Bakura almost snorted in amusement at his guards' stepping back in fear. "Just take the bitch to a holding cell, and the cat will surely follow," he ordered in an obvious tone. The guards carefully avoided the cat and took the bounty hunter out of the room to bid their prince's order. Sure enough, Chisara trotted behind them, whining occasionally. It was clear that she wasn't sure if she should be attacking the guards or not, her mistress not conscious to give her any commands.  
  
Malik slowly stood from his place on the ground and pushed his hair from his face. "What the hell was that?" he asked slowly, sitting down on Bakura's bed beside his cousin.  
  
Bakura rubbed his tender throat and replied, "Black leopard, also known as black panther. Native to the planet Earth." Malik glanced him, but his surprise was only momentary. While he had spent his schooltime goofing off and tormenting the tutors, Bakura had been the perfect student, studying diligently. He shook his head.  
  
"Then it is her, the Angel of Death. She is also from Earth. Astounding! She is beautiful like they say," he muttered in amazement. He turned to his cousin then. "What are you going to do with her? She'll kill you if she gets the chance again."  
  
Bakura shook his head in bewilderment. "I can't kill her or else, then, I really would be a murderer."  
  
"Speaking of that," Malik began disdainfully, "I wonder why she called me a murderer? I've never killed anyone."  
  
"I don't know. She didn't seem too sane to me," Bakura replied. Malik grinned at him.  
  
"Keep her as a toy," he joked. Bakura took him seriously, however.  
  
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Anzu went a little nutso there. But I assure you, she has a good reason, to her at least. Please review, pleeeasssseee!


	3. Chapter Three

Target: You

Chapter Three  
  
A/N: It seems everyone loved it when Anzu strangled Bakura. Just what are you all implying here? XD  
  
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Anzu moaned as she was drawn awake by a velvety tongue licking her face repeatedly. She felt sure her head was vibrating off her neck, it hurt so bad. The fact that she was laying on a steel floor did not help. Had these people not heard of carpet or even tile? Everything in this damn place was either steel or metal.  
  
Slowly opening her eyes, she looked around her, petting Chisara once she spotted the loyal cat at her side. Anzu wanted to laugh; she couldn't believe that she had been captured. No, forget that; she couldn't even believe that she hadn't succeeded in killing Prince Bakura. Why had she just stared at him when he was asleep? It was the perfect opportunity, and she blew it! It was too much for her throbbing head to handle at that point.  
  
"Oh, Chisara, mommy's sorry. I didn't tell you to eat them, and you didn't know what to do," Anzu cooed lovingly.  
  
"She's been cleaning you all day," a guard said, drawing Anzu's eyes to him. He picked up a bowl beside him and walked forward. Anzu took the bowl as he passed it through one of the openings in the bars. She noticed that another guard was leaving through the exit door.  
  
"Of course, she has. I cleaned her when she was a babe," she paused, glancing at him, then added, "not with my tongue." The surprised look on his face disappeared, and he chuckled.  
  
She eyed the food in the bowl with mild curiosity and slight distaste.  
  
"It is chilled penchin soup. I am thinking it is like your Earth's chicken," he supplied helpfully. "It is nighttime, so you should be hungry."  
  
She vaguely noted his rich accent. She had heard plenty of accents though -- enough for her to not even care. As long as they spoke the Universal language, she was satisfied. She had learned the Universal language starting from birth, so it was nothing to her. She had met plenty of people, however, whom couldn't even speak a lick of it. It was so common on any planet; it irritated her to know that not every parent was teaching their children to speak it. Luckily, it was a law on quite a few planets, Earth included, that it was taught from birth. The King of Earth was smart in passing that law.  
  
Anzu glanced at the soup then at Chisara. She clicked her tongue and the sleek cat obediently rose and crouched down beside her expectantly. Anzu set the bowl down on the hard floor, and the panther lapped it up quickly.  
  
"Aren't you hungry?" the guard asked, dumbfounded.  
  
"She needs it more than I," Anzu replied shortly.  
  
"Would you really order your... pet... to eat someone?" the guard asked as an afterthought. The look on his face was too much for Anzu to resist. She feigned thoughtfulness.  
  
"Well, she only likes the men, and she prefers to pull off their arms and legs rather than actually eat them," she said, pretending to ignore the look of horror on the guard's face. She couldn't imagine what he was thinking. This was a black panther; of course, she would eat a human if it was presented to her. She had tried to when she was younger many times until she was fully disciplined. Well, it was too funny playing with the guard's head anyhow to point out the obvious to him.  
  
"I'm surprised your kind didn't kill her," Anzu remarked, emphasizing disgust on 'your kind.' The guard looked a little embarrassed at this point.  
  
"To be honest, we were too scared to try. We are all Bakurians, you see, and we do not have big cats such as that on our home planet," he stated.  
  
"His planet is even named after him? Men are so arrogant," she muttered, rolling her eyes; however, the guard didn't hear her.  
  
Both of them looked over to the door when the guard whom had left earlier returned. He glanced at Anzu and Chisara, whom was licking the bowl clean, and then started speaking to his companion in their native tongue. Anzu had heard her father speak it a few times when he had done business with the Bakurian king. However, she could only pick up on a little of what they were saying.  
  
Upon hearing, "with him" she knew something was going on. She glared at the two of them until they finally ceased speaking and looked at her. During their few moments of silence, they looked between her and her cat at least ten times.  
  
"Prince Bakura says that if you do not eat the food provided, you will eat with him. And... I suppose she must go with you?" he asked with obvious displeasure, pointing to Chisara.  
  
Anzu almost jumped with joy at the opportunity to fix her first mistake and kill Bakura. She knew there must be a hidden motive for Bakura to want to dine with her. After all, she wouldn't want to dine with someone determined to kill her. However, she didn't want to miss her chance. She stood up slowly, Chisara rising at her side, as well.  
  
"I have never missed my target although I do realize there's a first for everything; however, do not think I will miss again," she told them casually. They didn't have to ask for her meaning. They knew she was subtlely threatening their prince's life.  
  
They said nothing, instead just motioned for her to exit the cell and follow them. The chains that bound her hands and feet were heavy, but she walked in them with trained ease. Chisara trotted at her side, growling occasionally at the two guards. They regarded her warily. Her head still throbbed, but she ignored it; the pain was beginning to recede anyhow.  
  
After a few short minutes, they reached two grand doors which she correctly assumed to lead to the dining hall. Upon entering, she spotted Bakura sitting at the far end of a long table. There was no one else in the room which was slightly disappointing in the fact that she hated to be alone with him, the center of his attention. However, she was more grateful than disappointed; she would have easier access to kill him.  
  
After she was seated and the guards had left, Bakura moved to the seat directly next to her. She knew he was trying to ignore Chisara, but the soft growling kept drawing his chocolate eyes to her. Anzu held in her laugh.  
  
"I see you've brought the she-devil," he noted stiffly.  
  
"She hasn't had a human in days; I'd be careful if I were you," Anzu replied, beginning to enjoy seeing the look on these men's faces when she jested about Chisara eating them.  
  
"Yes, and why is that?"  
  
"Why hasn't she eaten you? Do you really think I would endanger her life like that?" Anzu motioned to the armed guards standing against the walls. Bakura nodded slightly in agreement.  
  
"Malik will not be joining us tonight since he is busy," he said, stabbing his knife into the healthy slice of meat in front of him. Anzu seethed at the mention of his half-brother. She had forgotten about him which she felt ashamed to admit to herself. She should be grateful though; with Malik present, she wouldn't know which of them to kill.  
  
After the servants finished placing down all of the food, they backed against the wall silently. She picked up her meat knife and gripped it tightly.  
  
"Why aren't we dead yet?" she asked, watching his movements closely. He looked up at her uninterestedly.  
  
"Don't fear; I'll enjoy killing you when the time is right, but that time is not now."  
  
"Don't you fear, my prince," she began cryptically, "I'll enjoy killing you, too, and the time is right now!" she finished, throwing her meat knife as she did. He ducked to the side just in time, allowing the knife to plunge into a servant's arm. The servant screamed in surprise and pain, but both Anzu and Bakura ignored him.  
  
"You did not just try to kill me again!" he exclaimed in disbelief though he knew he shouldn't be surprised. He gripped her arm tightly, debating whether or not to throttle her.  
  
"You did not just evade death again!" she cried in dismay, shaking off his arm. She stared at him as if he were working black magic. "Are Bakurians Illusionists?"  
  
He flustered at the implication that he was only avoiding being killed because of some magical power at work. "No, we are not!" he snapped. He turned to the servants -- the injured one had exited the room -- and pointed at random.  
  
"You! Remove her eating utensils and bring back only a plastic fork!" he ordered, his chocolate eyes sparkling with anger. The servant rushed forward to gather Anzu's utensils, running out of the room and returning moments later with a plastic fork. Anzu snatched the fork out of the servant's open hand and stabbed it into her meat with difficulty.  
  
"Somehow I am missing you, but I will not the next time! You'll die sooner or later!" she all but shouted.  
  
"I'm afraid you won't have another chance, Angel," he replied curtly. Her eyes widened furiously at the nickname she hated.  
  
"I hate that name!" She scowled angrily.  
  
"It is the only name of yours I know!" he retorted.  
  
Her eyes narrowed as she realized he was right. Well, she would be damned before she told him her name. She would make do with Angel.  
  
"You are the Devil!" she cried. She felt horrible inside for letting her anger get the best of her. Another example of there being a first for everything. She simply couldn't control herself though.  
  
"The Devil and the Angel; quite a pair, don't you think?" he pointed out sarcastically. He impatiently pushed his ivory mane away from his face, it having flown all over the place during their little squirmish.  
  
She didn't say another word to him, nor he to her, for the rest of the meal. His eating habits were certainly not the best she had seen. He took a particular liking to meat, and she noticed his portion was extra rare, almost downright raw. She raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. Chisara had become restless after their verbal spar and was prowling underneath the dining table. When they were done eating, Anzu gave her last piece of meat to Chisara whom ate it slowly, eyeing Bakura suspiciously the whole time.  
  
"Watch who you're growling at, or I'll eat you, bitch," he warned, only earning an even louder growl from the black panther.  
  
He narrowed his eyes and stood abruptly. He grabbed Anzu by the arm and jerked her to her feet roughly. "Come on," he said gruffly, tugging her along behind him. She noticed that they weren't going in the direction of the dungeons which she had come from, but she didn't say anything. They were walking so quickly that Chisara was jogging lightly beside them. Servants dashed out of Bakura's way as he stormed passed, all with surprised looks on their faces.  
  
Anzu knew they must have walked clear across to the other side of the large headquarters before they finally reached another set of large, golden doors which she presumed to lead into Bakura's chambers. These were thrown open quickly by four guards when they sensed what a foul mood their prince was in -- moreso than usual anyway.  
  
Bakura tossed Anzu inside roughly, ordering the doors shut again. Anzu jumped to her feet quickly, but was too late. Chisara hissed at the doors and circled Anzu protectively. The bounty huntress patted the panther soothingly as her cerulean orbs scanned the room for any other means of escape. None. Just great.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Things are not looking up for our heroine. She is alone in Bakura's chambers. Well, maybe things are not looking up for our hero. Wait a minute, he's not really a hero. Or maybe he is? Ah, whatever. XD Review, review! I am greedy about reviews! XP


	4. Chapter Four

Target: You

Chapter Four  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Anzu bit her lip in order to keep herself from screaming in frustration. She should have punched Bakura's lights out when he had been dragging her to his chambers. No, she had to be curious. She had to know. Damn herself to hell! He had guts to leave her in his private chambers -- unattended. She would have this place in shambles.  
  
Just as she was about to tear his room to shreds, she thought better of it. Destroying his belongings would get her nowhere. In fact, he probably didn't care or else he wouldn't have left her there. He was probably so rich he could have everything replaced in a day. Damn him to hell now! She stood still by the door, wondering what she should do. She was unarmed, and she could almost bet that he wouldn't have left any weapons in his room. It seemed he had planned this all from the beginning. It was hard enough knowing that she was unable to kill him not once, but twice. But now she was his prisoner? It was almost too much for her ego to bear.  
  
She knew she couldn't take out all four of the guards standing just outside his door. Not unarmed, anyway. Never mind the fact that she could only use her arms since her ankles were still bound in chains.  
  
"What should I do, sweetie?" Anzu asked her beloved pet while looking around the room. Chisara looked up at her with her big, golden orbs. As if to answer her question, the sleek cat began walking around the room.  
  
"Okay, look around, we shall," Anzu said quietly to herself. She followed Chisara around the room, inspecting her surroundings.  
  
Like the rest of the headquarters, the floor was solid steel; however, black, lush throwrugs were placed over the cold, hard floor in select areas. There were no pictures or paintings on the barren walls, but somehow, that didn't surprise her. Prince Bakura didn't seem like the artistic type. A simple black coffee table was set in the middle of the room with a black couch and chair behind it. She walked over to it to examine the paperwork sitting on the coffee table.  
  
She picked up a magazine entitled 'Universal Business,' but quickly set it aside, as it didn't interest her. There was a contract of some sort, probably illegal, she assumed. A small bar was off to the other side of the meeting room. Bakura had a large assortment of wines and liquors from a wide variety of planets. Anzu raised a skeptical eyebrow; he also didn't seem like the type to let go and have a drink.  
  
She followed Chisara into the first door on the right. Not surprisingly, the kitchen was also steel. It was quite standard with a sink, dishwasher, refrigerator and table. She opened the cupboards only to find breakfast foods. She mused that he must eat his midday and night meals in the formal dining room she had been subjected to earlier in the night.  
  
Anzu peeked inside the next room, but found it to be a small office and library. She stepped inside and picked out a few of the books. However, she could understand very little since they were all in the Bakurian language.  
  
The final room was actually two rooms connected. The first was Bakura's bedroom. Like the other furnishings in his chambers, his bed was black wood with black satin sheets and blankets. Above his bed's headboard was a glass box with a strange looking sword resting inside of it. An idea began to form itself in Anzu's head, but upon closer inspection, she realized the blade was dulled on its end and side--on purpose, it would seem--and her hopes were dashed. She glanced to the far wall at the window which she had come in through only a few nights prior; it was the only window in his entire chambers. It was locked then and probably was now, but she had had special tools to let herself in before. She had nothing now to let herself back out. She walked over to the large window to examine it more closely.  
  
Of course, she had no clue what the code that she needed to enter in the padlock could be. She turned away and started. Chisara had jumped onto Bakura's bed and was rolling around on the soft coverings, completely blending in. Anzu chuckled quietly. She noted a black wood dresser, but didn't bother to look inside it. Cracking open the door connecting to the bedroom, she found a bathroom just as she had assumed. Also as assumed, the toilet, sink and bathtub were polished black.  
  
Closing the door quietly, she walked over to the bed to caress Chisara. Glancing at the clock on the wall opposite the bed, she realized she had managed to pass by an hour of time, and it was beginning to grow late into the evening. Normally, she stayed up much later than 9:00pm, but recent events had made her extra tired.  
  
She half-considered sleeping on his bed; that would surely irritate him. However, after consideration, she ended up curling into a ball in the corner of his office, a difficult feat to get her legs comfortable considering the chains that bound them roughly. Chisara sprawled out onto the cool floor in front of Anzu, blocking any access to her, while her mistress quickly fell asleep.  
  
- - -  
  
Bakura entered his chambers cautiously, fully expecting his assassin to lunge herself at him from the ceiling, or some other bizarre hiding place. When nothing happened, he motioned for his guards to close his doors. He could tell they were hesitating, but a stern look from him caused them to follow his orders hastily.  
  
Bakura glanced all around his main room, but didn't spot Anzu anywhere. "And where is that damned cat?" he muttered to himself.  
  
His first guess was to check his bedroom, but when he didn't find her there, he began to worry that she may have escaped. A thorough search of his chambers finally ended up in his office, where he spotted her sound asleep in the far corner. And damn him if that cat wasn't guarding her like a hawk. Its golden eyes were already focused intently on him as he stepped a little closer to the bounty huntress. He examined her briefly. She resembled a small child curled up from fear of something. He snorted derisively; he didn't expect that she may be afraid of anything, especially not with the hellcat guarding her.  
  
Bakura dared to take one step closer which proved a bad choice in Chisara's eyes. She leapt to her feet and elicited a loud hiss. Anzu awoke instantly and was on her feet in another instant. Her hand instinctively went to her hip, but she remembered that she was unarmed. She glanced quickly at the clock on his wall and realized she had only slept for three hours. She eyed Bakura suspiciously.  
  
"I must admit I'm surprised my chambers aren't in shambles," he remarked.  
  
"Why am I here?" she asked with a sneer. Chisara still growled softly in front of her, clearly sensing her mistress's anger. Bakura glanced at the panther.  
  
"Call the cat off and we'll talk," he told her. Anzu seemed to consider this before finally clicking her tongue. Chisara obediently laid down at her feet, but her huge eyes never left Bakura.  
  
He sat down in the chair behind his desk and regarded her curiously. "Why didn't you kill me the other night?"  
  
Anzu flustered angrily. She knew he was referring to how she had hesitated. She would never admit that she had been distracted by his beautiful facial features. His bloated ego surely didn't need anymore lifts.  
  
"I was distracted," she opted to answer simply.  
  
"I wouldn't think someone in your profession would live long if they became distracted easily," he replied with a smirk. She crossed her arms over her chest.  
  
"This is not a regular occurence," she said in a tone of finality. "My turn. What the hell am I doing here?"  
  
"You were captured; don't you remember?" he said, evading her obvious meaning.  
  
"You know what I mean!" she snapped. "Why am I in your personal chambers, asshole?"  
  
He shrugged carelessly. "You'll figure it out soon enough."  
  
She held his gaze with cool indifference, though inside she was furious.  
  
"Next question," he started. "What is your true name, Angel?"  
  
"You may call me Angel because I'll never tell you my name," she replied sharply. He nodded.  
  
"Fair enough. Next?"  
  
"What will happen to the Fatal Rose?" At his blank look, she clarified, "my ship."  
  
"Unattended ships are towed every 72 hours," he said in a bored voice. Inside, her heart sank to the lowest pit of her stomach. Her spaceship was the last thing she had of her father. Bakura noticed her downfallen expression, but didn't comment on it.  
  
"Why did you try to kill my cousin?" he asked. Anzu noticed that his tone was more curious than angry.  
  
"Revenge," she answered simply, looking away.  
  
"Revenge?" he echoed.  
  
"He killed someone dear to me."  
  
Bakura shook his head in disagreement. "Malik has never killed anyone."  
  
Anzu gritted her teeth. She had half a mind to throttle him, but doubted she'd simply walk out of his chambers unscathed. "I saw him," she ground out.  
  
"You don't know what you saw, Earthling," he replied with obvious distaste on her ethnicity.  
  
"Listen, Bakurian," she said with the same disgust on his ethnicity, "my eyesight is quite good, I assure you."  
  
"Obviously, it isn't," he insisted. When she remained silent, he added, "Besides the past is over. People die; get over it."  
  
A flame ignited in Anzu's eyes and she shook slightly. Before Bakura could even register it, she had delivered him a swift punch across his nose. His head whipped to the side with a snap, and he touched a finger to his tender nose. He raised a hand as if to hit her back, but instead he jabbed a finger into her chest, knocking her backwards a step -- she almost tripped over her chains. She slapped his hand away with a fierce glare.  
  
"Don't test your luck," he told her menacingly. She turned away abruptly and crossed her arms over chest.  
  
"Leave me alone, or I'll say the hell with it and let Chisara eat you," she threatened. If Bakura wasn't seething with anger, the threat would have been quite comical. He knew she wasn't serious because she had already said she wouldn't risk her pet's life, but the irony of the threat was that he was sure the panther would love to eat him. Damn women.  
  
"I'll leave you alone, but only for this night." He paused, pretending to ignore the horrored suspicion etched on her pretty face. "Remember: if the hellcat eats me in my sleep, my guards will have Panther stew tomorrow." With that, he walked out of his office and into his bedroom to get some sleep. Stubborn bitch.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
I hope I'm not confusing anyone, but if I am, I'll tell you that their pasts and grudges, etc. will be revealed throughout the course of the story. Remember to review, and I'll see you next time! XP


	5. Chapter Five

Target: You

Chapter Five  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Anzu awoke to the feel of her panther nudging her side gently. She rubbed any remaining sleep out of her eyes and slipped on her stillettos which has been discarded at some time during the night. She had dreamt that she had awakened to find Bakura staring intently at her, but she was relieved to see her dream hadn't came true seeing as he wasn't in the small office.  
  
She cracked open the door and peeked around. Not spotting Bakura anywhere in the main room, she stepped out and closed the door behind Chisara. She knew it was foolish, but she couldn't help walking to the main door and opening it.  
  
As soon as she did, two guards immediately turned to her and shook their heads firmly. She rolled her eyes and shut the door again. It was worth trying. Just then, Bakura exited the kitchen with a sly grin.  
  
"Not trying to escape, are we, Angel?" he asked coyly. She smiled sweetly.  
  
"Of course not. I was simply attempting small talk with your guards. Not very friendly though, I must say."  
  
He chuckled quietly. She continued, "I wouldn't think it wise to cut your personal guards in half. I'm not the only bounty hunter in the universe, you know."  
  
"No, you are not, but you are the best. And if we can capture the best, what problem will a few amateurs present?"  
  
She had almost smiled at the off-handed compliment, but he had gone and ruined it by reminding her that she was his captive.  
  
"I'm torn between wanting to kill you myself and take the bounty, or just let one of those 'amateurs' kill you," she said. This didn't seem to phase him. He motioned toward the kitchen with his head.  
  
"Come and eat breakfast," he offered though it was clear it wasn't a request. She grudgingly followed him and seated herself when a chair was pulled out for her by the only servant present. Chisara relaxed underneath the table, sniffing at Bakura's feet occasionally.  
  
"No," Bakura told the servant, holding out the eating utensils. "Plastic only." The servant seemed surprised, but nodded and left to retrieve a plastic fork and knife. Once they were alone, Anzu questioned him on the servant's surprise.  
  
"Nobody here besides me, Malik, and a few guards know you're a prisoner, and they are not to speak of it," he supplied. Anzu's eyes narrowed in suspicion.  
  
"Exactly what do these other people think I am?" she asked bemusedly. She swallowed down a death threat when a sneaky and seductive smirk spread across his face. "Your mistress," she answered her own question. "You pig."  
  
"It will be true soon enough," he replied with a careless shrug. She gasped and stood abruptly from the table.  
  
"Like hell it will! Kill me now!"  
  
"Don't be so dramatic," he scolded. He motioned for her to sit down. She did, if only for the fact that the servant had re-entered the room, and she didn't want to embarrass herself by making a scene.  
  
"My lady," the servant said as she handed the plastic eating utensils to Anzu. The bounty huntress flushed hotly at the way the servant referred to her. Anzu knew mistresses were called ladies by servants.  
  
"Thank you," she replied, tight-lipped. Bakura dismissed the servant, and the pair ate in silence. After a few deathly silent minutes, Malik strode into the kitchen. Anzu noted that he didn't seem surprised at all to see her there. She shoved her seat back and stood quickly.  
  
"Chisara!" she called, and the cat rose instantly. Malik's eyes widened, and he backed up a few steps.  
  
"Don't do it," Bakura warned, now standing as well. Anzu seemed to hesitate. "Angel..." Bakura trailed off. She glanced at him, then looked away. She clicked her tongue for Chisara to back off. The sleek cat emitted a warning hiss in Malik's direction before retreating back under the table.  
  
"You let her keep the cat?" Malik asked in disbelief after taking a moment to recover. Bakura covered his face with a hand.  
  
"A mistake on my part, I think I'll come to realize over the next weeks," he replied, then motioned for Malik to sit down at the table. He did so, carefully regarding Anzu whom refused to remove her hate-filled eyes from him.  
  
"I wonder if all animals are huge on Earth," Malik mused, more to himself than anyone.  
  
"Your planet doesn't have any big animals?" Anzu asked in a haughty tone though she truly didn't care what their horrible planet had.  
  
"I think they do here on Yamisha up north, but we didn't on Bakura when it was still around," Bakura replied.  
  
"I've never seen a cat bigger than my head," Malik joked though it was only appreciated by his male companion.  
  
"Bakura isn't around?" Anzu asked, her curiosity now aroused about her captor's home planet. Bakura held her gaze for a few moments before shaking his head.  
  
"It was destroyed by an asteroid when I was eight," he replied. Anzu noted that he was only minimally upset about that fact. Malik, on the other hand, wasn't concerned at all. How strange. She knew that should Earth ever befall the same fate, she would be devastated to hear of it. Even though she only visited Earth every few months between missions, it was her home.  
  
"How did you all escape?" she asked. Bakura looked amused that she seemed to want to have a conversation with him, but he humored her.  
  
"We had somewhat of a warning from our globular tracking system. But only half of the race could get off the planet in time."  
  
She eyed both of them before saying seriously, "It's a pity you two had to be part of the half that got off." It was obvious Bakura was hiding a grin, but Malik just looked at Bakura in a confused manner. Before he could comment, however, Anzu heard a soft chewing sound coming from under the table.  
  
At some point in time which she had missed, someone had apparently given Chisara a large bowl with assorted meats. Anzu hadn't seen anybody come in, but then again, she hadn't been paying too much attention to any possible servants.  
  
- - -  
  
Bakura had left to tend to 'important business.' Thankfully, Malik had also left with him. The blond cousin had spared her only a few cautious glances at breakfast, but had never spoken directly to her. It was just as well, too. She had nothing to say to the murderer.  
  
However, now she was alone and so very bored. Chisara was napping on Bakura's bed which amused her to no end. The cat had never shown an interest in sleeping on Anzu's bed, whether it be on the Fatal Rose or at her home on Earth. Due to her thick coat, she preferred to sleep on the cool floor. Anzu smiled; if Chisara wanted to mess up Bakura's sheets, then far be it for her to disrupt her cat's fun.  
  
She had not been summoned to dine in the formal hall for lunch, but she wasn't complaining. She had no inclination to see Bakura nor his cousin again. Instead, a delicious assortment of fruits, vegetables, and a small meat serving had been brought to her in Bakura's chambers.  
  
The servant had been quite uncomfortable when Anzu had dismissed her before eating, but the bounty hunter had insisted that it was quite all right, and that she could tend to herself. She had finally agreed to leave -- it was clear she was afraid of getting in trouble -- and had taken Anzu's clothing with her to clean. It had taken a good length of time in itself just to get her pants out from under her metal cuffs and chains; she had done this in the bathroom away from the servant. Anzu was still in her silk robe given to her by the servant when the young girl had returned a few hours later.  
  
"My lady, here are your clean garments. Also, his highness, the prince, sends you this note," the young blonde said while holding out a folded piece of decorated paper. Anzu took it, thanking the servant, and walked into the main room to read it. After leaving Anzu's skintight pants and tanktop, the servant left silently. Anzu slowly opened the note, wrinkling her nose at Bakura's sloppy scrawl.  
  
Angel,  
  
You are to attend dinner this evening in the formal dining room with Malik and me. You are not to bring your pet, and you are not to attempt murder on either myself or Malik. A few delegates from a planet will be joining us to talk about a contract, so you will be on your best behavior and pretend we are on good terms. In the closet in my bedroom, you should find one dress; wear it. An escort will be by my quarters at 7:00.  
  
Prince Bakura  
  
Prince, indeed. The bastard. Be on her best behavior? Oh, she'd be on her best behavior. To hell with pretending to be on 'good terms' with him though. She would simply not speak during dinner unless it was entirely necessary. Chisara wouldn't be pleased about being left alone, but it was all she could do.  
  
- - -  
  
Anzu had dressed in her exquisite, blue evening gown. There weren't any sleeves, but it flowed down to her toes (covering her chains), clinging to her slightly, but only in some places. It was simple in design, merely having a glittered decoration across the chest, but it looked wonderful on her. The idiot had not thought to leave her matching shoes, so Anzu had the sweet servant from before fetch her a pair of matching blue heels.  
  
"You look beautiful, my lady," the young girl, Tifah, complimented.  
  
"Thank you," she replied quietly. She felt strange as she looked herself over in the mirror. It had been years since she had worn a dress. It simply didn't suit to run around, catching criminals for bounties in a dress. But even before she had become a bounty hunter, she had been somewhat of a tomboy and felt dresses were 'too girly.'  
  
The chime at Bakura's door sounded which indicated that her escort was there to pick her up. What? she thought sarcastically. The arrogant bastard was too important to escort her himself?  
  
Upon opening the door, Anzu was mildly curious to see not only her male escort, but also a pretty blonde woman on his arm.  
  
"Good evening, my lady," Tifah said with a curtsy, drawing Anzu's eyes to her. After the young servant had left, Anzu exited Bakura's chambers, his guards closing the door behind her.  
  
Her young escort offered his free arm while inquiring, "Your name, my lady?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "So that I may announce you," he prompted. Anzu caught herself before she gave away her true name.  
  
"Angel." This earned her a snicker from the blonde hanging on the escort's other arm, but she quickly quieted when Anzu's death glare was turned upon her.  
  
When the trio reached the formal dining hall, Anzu was restraining herself from strangling the blonde on the other side of their handsome escort. The woman had no modesty or decency. Anzu was also struggling to walk as quietly as possible, so her chains couldn't be heard.  
  
Two stoic guards opened the doors for the three. They stopped shortly after stepping barely inside the room. The five figures already at the dining table stood when they entered.  
  
"My lady Careen, and my lady Angel," the escort announced. He walked each woman to the table, pulling out two chairs and seating them. Careen immediately clung to Malik, obviously his lover. Anzu reluctantly sat down next to Bakura though she kept her eyes off of him. He only seemed amused by this.  
  
The dinner progressed without too much incident. Careen busied herself by caressing Malik's legs with her feet under the table. Malik, preoccupied as he was, only added an occasional agreement to the conversation about the contract being proposed. The three delegates, a single, younger man and an older married couple, discussed the contract with Bakura. Anzu could tell that the prince was barely containing his dislike of the older man's wife. She unabashedly flirted with him though her husband seemed not to care. Anzu had only been obligated to speak once when she had thanked the younger delegate for his compliment on her 'name befitting her.'  
  
Malik had seemed to want to laugh at the comment of her being like an angel -- the Angel of Death, sure. Bakura, on the other hand, had merely asked the young delegate if he planned to marry anytime soon. Anzu rolled her eyes. Controlling, chauvinistic man.  
  
The dinner seemed as if it would drag on forever, but it finally ended after a delicious dessert of assorted Bakurian fruits dipped in chocolate. After instructing a servant to show the delegates to their rooms, Malik and Careen had left together. Bakura took Anzu's arm in his as they, too, left the dining hall. She had attempted to pull away, but he pinched her wrist tightly in a silent warning.  
  
When they reached his quarters, she darted inside and out of his reach. He stepped inside, pulling off his formal dress jacket as his door was closed behind him. He raised an eyebrow at her hateful glare.  
  
"What did I do this time?" he asked with a feigned sigh.  
  
"Don't touch me again," she replied curtly. He laughed darkly at this. She had to wonder only a moment before she realized his intentions. He was removing his shirt as he advanced on her. Her eyes widened in horror, and her first instinct was to call for her cat.  
  
"Chisara!" she screamed. When her panther didn't immediately appear at her side, she glanced around, panicked. "Where is my cat?" she demanded. He shrugged as he tossed his white dress shirt aside. She averted her eyes from his gloriously bare chest.  
  
"In the office. She is unharmed, so don't go beserk." As if on cue, a loud growl erupted from inside the office. Nevertheless, Anzu didn't try to make a mad dash to release her cat, but instead lifted her chin an extra notch.  
  
"Don't come a step closer," she ordered, backing up a few steps herself. He smirked. And damn him if he didn't stop walking towards her.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Uh oh... I sense trouble for our little bounty huntress. Everyone be sure to review, and tell a friend! XD


	6. Chapter Six

Target: You

Chapter Six  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
A/N: I didn't have internet access for a week; I'm sorry about the delay! Also, someone asked if Yuugi, Seto, etc. would be in this fic. Although I said in the beginning that they wouldn't, I've changed my mind somewhat. (Yami) Yuugi will definitely play a role in this fic, but not until later. However, I'm not sure about any others. I may add one or two others with very minor roles (kind of like Jounouchi in the beginning).  
  
Lastly, a WARNING: This chapter brings this story up to an R-rating, as it will remain for the rest of the story.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Anzu stood her ground steadily as Bakura advanced on her with a sinister gleam in his eyes.  
  
"I already want to kill you; don't make things worse for yourself," Anzu warned. He paid the warning no heed, however. Kicking off his shoes as he advanced, he chuckled lightly. Stopping right in front of her, he reached for her.  
  
Instinctively, she delivered him a mean right hook, jerking his head to the side. "I'm giving you a chance, asshole. Don't touch me, or that will only be the beginning."  
  
Bakura gingerly wiped the dribbling, crimson blood from his lip before reaching for her again. She went to hit him again, but he wasn't to be fooled twice. He caught both swinging arms mid-air and pinned them behind her back. She yelped as he yanked the hair rubberband from her chocolate locks causing them to tumble down to her shoulders from the elegant bun. He bound her wrists behind her back with the rubberband. She glared at him.  
  
"Do this a lot, do you?" Anzu asked sarcastically.  
  
"I think on my toes," he retorted. Before she knew what he was up to, he had ripped the two thin straps holding her dress over her shoulders away from her body; the dress protested the abuse and fell to her chest, barely covering her heaving breasts. Anzu tried to separate her hands, but the hair rubberband was too tight -- in fact, her hands were losing their feeling altogether. She considered kneeing him, but knew it would be a fruitless attempt with her ankles bound as they were.  
  
She glared hatefully at Bakura as he slowly peeled the dress down to her waist, smiling gloatfully at her all the while. He gazed briefly at her generous bosom, heaving up and down with her anger, before stating simply, "They'll do."  
  
She wanted to slap him for the catty remark.  
  
Once the dress was pooled on the floor, leaving Anzu in only her white, satin panties, she found that Bakura was staring bemusedly at the chains around her ankles. He seemed to have forgotten they were there. Slowly, he knelt down, reaching around in his pant pockets for the key. After the chains were removed and tossed haphazardly aside, he stood quickly. Before he could register it, Anzu had lifted her leg high above her head and brought it back down on the side of his neck. Quickly following the painful assault, she swung her leg around, sending him flying back a few feet.  
  
From his ungraciously heaped place on the cold, steel floor, he glared up at her. "You really are mean."  
  
"Well, you're an idiot if you thought you could simply remove my chains and not have me do anything," she replied with an incredulous shake of her head. He stood up slowly, taking a moment to steady himself and ignore his throbbing neck. When he looked over at her, he found her moving her wrists up and down over a sharp edge of the coffee table.  
  
Realizing she was trying to free her hands, he strode over to her quickly and jerked her to her feet. "Oh, no, you don't."  
  
Just as she tried to kick him again, he caught her small ankle in his hand. Since she only had one leg to balance on, he easily flipped her over onto her back on the meeting room couch. He covered her near-naked body with his own, pinning her still-bound wrists above her head. She screamed and squirmed underneath him which only earned her a chuckle on his part.  
  
Her tore the last remaining cloth from her body, leaving her completely nude under his penetrating gaze. While using one hand to hold her wrists, he struggled to take off his pants with the other hand. No matter her struggle, Anzu couldn't free herself from his weight upon her.  
  
Anzu's eyes widened once Bakura was completely nude. She began to struggle even more than before. She howled in pain when he plunged into her, breaking through her virginal barrier. He paused briefly, surprised. His thrusts were quick at first, but then he slowed down and was staring down at her with a surprised yet pleased expression on his face.  
  
She realized with horror that she was pleasurably moaning his name repeatedly.  
  
- - -  
  
After both Anzu and Bakura reached the pinnacles of their pleasure, both lay back against the couch, sated. Suddenly, Anzu gasped as if she had been struck and leaped off of the couch, still naked. Bakura lifted an eyebrow as she ripped the rubberband off of her wrists which had been brought in front of her during their lovemaking.  
  
She stared at him hatefully. "You... you forced yourself on me!"  
  
He rolled his eyes. "You enjoyed it."  
  
Anzu couldn't decide if she wanted to scream in anger or cry in hurt. She ran to the office and threw the door open, flinging herself inside. Bakura's eardrums rang as the door slammed shut loudly. Not bothering to gather her original skintight clothing for her, he walked into his bedroom, slamming his own door shut. He threw himself into his bed, his mood suddenly darkened.  
  
- - -  
  
Anzu flung herself into Chisara, hugging her cat to her as if the sleek panther were her last lifeline. She couldn't help the tears that streamed down her cheeks. She hadn't cried in months, and Chisara had been there for her that time as well, although she was a mere newborn at the time. Anzu recalled holding the three to five pound kitten against her chest as she sobbed mournfully.  
  
Chisara whimpered along with her mistress, laying on top of Anzu as if to protect her from any evils. The bounty huntress had never felt so dirty and defiled. Bakura's cruel yet truthful words kept replaying themselves in her head.  
  
He was right. She had enjoyed it.  
  
- - -  
  
Anzu was awake, but she had to force herself to open her eyes. She had no desire to rise, to move, to even breathe. She didn't want to see Bakura -- not now or ever again. She groaned to herself, using Chisara to hoist herself to her feet. She wavered slightly at the tiny pain between her legs, but paid it no heed. She had dealt with much, much worse. She glanced around for a mirror, but as expected, found none in the small office. Her back hurt from the hard floor she had slept on for two nights in a row, and feeling her hair, she could tell it was all over the place.  
  
Slowly opening the door, she stumbled out, tripping over one of her stillettos in the process. During the night, she had creaked open the door and grabbed her clothing, then ran back into the office. She had felt quite silly doing so, but hadn't wanted to chance a run-in with Bakura. Sure enough, his bedroom door never opened nor did she hear any sound from within. It was no wonder she had been able to enter his room her first night there; the jerk slept like a rock.  
  
Picking up the offending stilletto, she yanked it onto her foot. No sooner had she closed the office door did the young servant from before approach her with a note in her hand.  
  
"My lady, did you and my prince have a disagreement?" she asked, glancing at the office door in a surprised manner. Anzu glanced behind her quickly and smiled wryly. She would have been expected to sleep with Bakura if she was his mistress.  
  
"Yes, you could say that," she answered. She motioned to the note. "Is that for me?"  
  
"Oh, yes!" Tifah chirped, holding it out to her. Opening it up, Anzu found it to read only one sloppy sentence: 'I'll return in three days.'  
  
"I'm afraid he was rather vague," Anzu hinted, hoping the servant would shed a little light on the note.  
  
"Well, he has gone on a three-day trading alliance mission. Very standard, you know. He did tell me to let you know that you can wander about the headquarters wherever you wish as long as you have an escort," the young girl supplied helpfully. Anzu frowned. An escort. In other words, there wasn't a chance she could find a weapon anywhere or plant some type of trap for the arrogant prince. He thought of everything, didn't he?  
  
Anzu nodded. "Alright, thank you." The bounty hunter sauntered into the kitchen slowly and fell down into a seat. Tifah was quick to place a platter of food before her, but Anzu didn't see it. She was too deep in thought even to notice Chisara pull the plate off the table, much to the servan't surprise and amusement. Anzu wouldn't try to find a weapon in this ill-forgotten prison. She had to find a way to escape instead. She would insist that Chisara accompany her everywhere she went with the escort, so that if an opportunity presented itself, she would be ready. She knew the chances of her escaping were slim, but she had to try. She would forget all about Bakura and the bounty; she just needed to get away.  
  
When she finally looked up and asked Tifah if there was any food available, the servant girl pointed under the table with a giggle. Anzu shoved her seat back and looked under the table.  
  
"Hey!" she called out in exasperation. Chisara pinned Anzu with her huge orbs briefly, but then continued to consume her mistress's breakfast. Anzu rolled her eyes and stood to grab something from the cabinets.  
  
- - -  
  
Anzu was thoroughly depressed. It had been three days since Bakura had left the headquarters -- and the planet, for that matter -- but she had still been unable to escape. Her escort was but a boy of her own age, albeit a large boy. He was obviously very strong and very tall -- the very reason Bakura had chosen him, no doubt. Anzu doubted if she could fight him and win, so she hadn't tried.  
  
On the other hand, she had used his age against him and had almost succeeded. It was obvious he thought she was pretty and was attracted to her, so she had used that to her advantage. She had had him backed into a corner, rendering him helpless with a seductive stare and sexy whispers. Just as she was about to move in for the kill, he had suddenly come to his senses and had been thoroughly avoiding her gazes and ignoring her when she speaked ever since.  
  
After the first two days of unsuccessfulness, she had become nervous that she may lose her chance. Ever since the third morning, she had opted instead to revert back to her original plan: find a weapon and kill Bakura. But as suspected, she wasn't allowed anywhere near the weaponry room. Still yet, her flirting with the young guard had done her some good. Since he avoided her gaze at all costs, his eyes weren't pinned to her. Although he could see her out of his peripheral vision, his vision was limited.  
  
Anzu had been contemplating how to secure a weapon all day when they had passed a guard who was dozing off. The temptation and perfection of the chance was too great for the bounty huntress to pass up. As they passed the guard with his chin down to his chest, she had discreetly struck the nerve in the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious. She had stopped and feigned disgust, pointing out to her escort that one of the guards was sleeping on the job. As suspected, the guard didn't awaken when her escort kicked at his shin in an annoyed manner. Then Anzu had gasped and suggested that he was unconscious. The boy had not seemed too concerned, but had still turned away for a brief moment to call for another guard. As soon as his eyes were away, Anzu had snatched the laser gun from the unconscious guard's hip and hid it in her top between her breasts (the only place it wouldn't be noticed thanks to the skin-tight clothing she wore).  
  
Now she sat scowling by a bay window, staring off into the darkness outside, her laser gun still secured in her top -- she would keep it until the time was right. She placed her chin in her hand. She had noticed that this planet never truly received any light. During the day, it was dim, much like a sunset on her own homeplanet; it was never truly bright outside like on a sunny, warm Summer day. It didn't bother her though. She recalled one planet she had visited on a mission which had never received any darkness -- much the opposite of this planet.  
  
Anzu instinctively quieted her breathing and placed her hand on Chisara to quiet when she heard nearly inaudible speaking from behind her. She couldn't hear what was being said, but she didn't want to turn around where her guard would surely be watching her with an annoyingly enamored look -- that is, until she noticed at him and he quickly looked away.  
  
Nevertheless, she didn't have to wait long to figure out what was being said, for she felt a tap on her shoulder and a curt "I'm back." Her back stiffened visibly at the realization that her chance for escape was over. No matter. She had a laser gun, and she had every intention of using it on him when the perfect chance presented itself. She slowly stood up and turned to face him, planting a rigid hand on her hip.  
  
"You'll forgive me if I don't say I'm glad," she said haughtily. He merely raised a brow and dismissed her escort who had also raised an eyebrow at his prince's mistress's comment. Bakura turned back to her with a smirk.  
  
"I need tending to," he said simply. Anzu laughed shortly.  
  
"I don't belong to you, Bakura," she hissed defiantly, lifting her chin a notch. He smirked and pinned her body to the wall with his own. She sucked in a breath, praying he didn't feel the gun in her top; he didn't seem to. She reached an arm up to deliver a blow to his person, but he caught her hand and pinned it, along with her other hand, above her head. She shivered at the sudden realization that they were completely and utterly alone in this corridor.  
  
"Not yet," he replied. He quickly lowered his lips to hers forcefully, claiming her mouth with a savage kiss. Anzu bit down on his lip quickly before she began to enjoy herself. She didn't want to feel the same self- disgust she had felt after their sexual tryst a few nights prior.  
  
Bakura pulled back in surprise, muttering "bitch" underneath his breath. However, he sounded more irritated than anything. "I will break you," he said with finality. "Get out of my sight." He turned away and yelled for her escort, touching a finger to his bleeding lip angrily. Anzu was only too happy to comply with his demand, and left to return to his chambers, her escort and cat struggling to keep up with her angry pace.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Poor Anzu. Oh well. XD There you have it: a lime. There will be more limes throughout this story, but never a full-blown lemon. I don't want to have reason to suspend my account. Please review; 'til next time!


	7. Chapter Seven

Target: You

Chapter Seven

- - - - - - - - - -

Anzu walked into the formal dining hall, her escort on her arm. She held her chin up pridefully, not wanting to look as if she was defeated. Far from it. She had been pleased to see that the chains had not been ordered back on her. She hadn't been allowed out of Bakura's chambers since his return earlier that day, however. Her escort was armed, she had noticed, and he hadn't let go of her since picking her up for dinner.

She gambled that she could disarm him and have him flat on his back before he could inflict any real damage on her person, but she would bide her time. Eventually, after he saw that she wasn't trying to kill him anymore, Bakura would lower his guard a little bit. Then she would be at the ready with her stolen laser gun hidden in the recesses of his office behind a book. She would also make it a point to move it from book to book each day, so it would never stay in the same place and risk exposure.

Upon entering the dining hall, Anzu found Malik and Bakura to be alone at the table. Malik had apparently said something funny -- she couldn't imagine that -- because Bakura was laughing. He was grinning and generally looking happy.

She wanted to slap that smile off his face.

However, as expected, his features became cold and calculating once he noticed her standing there. His guard was back up. Good, she thought. It should be.

"My lady, Angel," her escort announced before seating her at the table.

"Where's Careen?" Anzu asked, not bothering to hide her disgust. Bakura stared at his cousin, seemingly curious, also. Malik shrugged without looking up from the plate before him.

"Off whoring probably."

Bakura chuckled quietly before stabbing a fork into his meat. Anzu raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything more. She glared at her plate and then Bakura.

"The least you could do is have my meat cut up beforehand since I can't cut it myself, you inconsiderate bastard," she spat, gesturing to her plastic utensils. He glanced at them before snapping his fingers in the air. A servant appeared at his side immediately.

"Slice her meat into eatable pieces," he ordered, waving the servant off. Anzu 'oh'd' in slight surprise as her plate was taken away. She hadn't actually expected him to indulge her order. Moments later, her plate was returned to her, and she thanked the servant graciously.

Malik asked his cousin in Bakurian, "Why choose her when you have so many willing females to pick from?" Anzu's ears were able to pick up only 'choose' and 'willing' -- Malik spoke too fast for her untrained ears. She wondered if they were talking about her, and when Bakura turned a sly grin on her, her suspicions were confirmed. She stabbed her plastic fork into one of the small meat slices and chewed it forcefully, her hateful eyes never leaving his own amused ones.

"I have tried all of those willing whores. This one will be fun to break," Bakura replied, still in his native tongue. Anzu heard the 'fun to break' quite clearly and stood abruptly from her seat. She had only eaten a few bites of her meal, but was hardly hungry anymore.

"And where are you going?" Bakura asked, taking a sip from his wine.

"I'm leaving," she answered in an obvious tone. The ivory-haired prince's eyes narrowed.

"You must ask permission first."

"Okay," Anzu giggled, then said seriously, "or how about no." With that, she pivoted on her heel and walked away calmly. Bakura debated whether to let her leave, then finally motioned for a guard to follow her back to his chambers.

"Yes," Malik mused, "it does appear that you have her completely under your control." Bakura glared at his cousin's sarcastic tone. Both men watched her hips sway until she was out of their eyesight.

"That red bodice of hers leaves little to the imagination, doesn't it?" Malik chuckled. Bakura turned a catty smirk on him.

"There are still some things to be imagined," he replied blandly, but with hint. The blond's brow raised. He was surprised that Bakura had already managed to bed the bounty huntress.

"You mean...you've already--?"

Bakura nodded casually and said smugly, "Of course."

Malik eyed him momentarily. "And she kicked your ass for it, didn't she?"

"Shut up!" Bakura snapped, throwing a dinner roll at his cousin.

- - -

Upon reaching Bakura's chambers, Anzu found that her maid, Tifah, was inside changing the sheets and blankets on Bakura's bed. The sight of his bed made Anzu want to vomit. She had been forced on his couch, but she knew she would eventually end up in his bed. She glanced behind her at the main door and then at the office's closed door, an idea forming itself in her head.

She would rather rot than end up in his bed.

She opened the office door and let Chisara out. Anzu ignored Tifah's questionary glances as the bounty hunter knocked on the main door and called for a guard. She momentarily wondered if she should grab the gun she had hidden away, but decided against it. She wouldn't have a good shot at him yet, not where she was going anyway.

When the guard opened the door, she stormed past him. He had no choice but to follow curiously. She kept a brisk pace, stalking through the mazed halls trying to remember the way. Chisara jogged at her side, ignoring the guard behind her just as her mistress did.

Finally, after a series of wrong turns, Anzu arrived at the dungeons. The guard questioned her curiously, but as expected, she ignored him. He looked horrified when she walked straight into a cell and locked herself and her panther inside.

"My lady!" he cried in alarm. "What are you doing?" Anzu turned and faced the wall. Her guard stared at the holding cell guard whom wasn't quite as surprised since he knew that Anzu was in fact a bounty hunter.

Not knowing what else to do, her personal guard turned and ran to find Bakura. Anzu turned her blue eyes on the one guard left, the man she recognized as being the guard she had had a brief conversation with in this very spot when she had first been captured.

- - -

Anzu's guard ran into the dining hall, skidding to a halt in front of Bakura and Malik. Each turned a curious glance on him.

"I'm guessing there's a problem?" Bakura asked needlessly.

"My prince, my lord," the guard began with hasty bows, "it's the Lady Angel! Come quick!"

Bakura and Malik bolted to their feet in a flash. Bakura was afraid something had befallen his unwilling mistress; Malik, on the other hand, was afraid she had befallen someone else.

The guard ran back out of the dining hall with Bakura and Malik following closely at his heels. "I didn't know what else to do," the guard called back over his shoulder. Malik glanced at Bakura cluelessly, but his cousin was just as clueless as he and only shrugged.

Bakura's tension began to mount as they entered the dungeons. The guard ran down the hall and stopped short in front of a cell, pointing into it.

- - -

"It's been almost a week," the guard began, sitting down in the chair outside the cell as he eyed the bounty huntress. "What are you doing back in here?"

"I don't want to be anywhere near him," Anzu answered simply. The guard didn't need to ask whom she referred to. He merely smiled and shook his head.

"I'll get you a blanket," the guard offered. Anzu shook her head.

"You are very kind, but I don't want to be pampered in any way," she replied.

He was about to insist when Anzu's personal guard ran up to the cell, followed by Bakura and Malik. Anzu's body stiffened when the cell guard stood and bowed to someone out of her eyesight. Malik reached the cell first. When he spied her sitting inside the cell, he burst into laughter, stepping aside so Bakura could see into the cell.

He wasn't nearly as amused. His chocolate eyes blazed fire, and he placed enclosed fists on his black-clad hips. "What the hell are you doing in there?" he asked her, then turned to the cell guard angrily. "Why did you let her in there?"

"My prince, I--"

Anzu cut off the cell guard, "Don't you dare accuse him! I came in here of my own free will, and there was nothing he could have done to stop me."

"Why?" Malik implored. Anzu glared at him.

"I don't believe I addressed you, murderer," she said calmly, refusing to look at him. Instead, she kept her fiery blue eyes pinned on her ivory-haired captor. "I'd rather rot in this cell than be near you."

Bakura growled low in his throat. "Get her out of there right now," he ordered of no one in particular.

Anzu's personal guard was stunned to hear the way she spoke to his prince. He was even more shocked to find out that she was unwilling. "Get used to it," the cell guard whispered to him before opening the cell door. He approached Anzu cautiously.

"You're a coward to make him get me out when you know I wouldn't lay a harmful hand to someone innocent," Anzu spat. Bakura rolled his eyes.

The cell guard gave her an apologetic smile as he gently gripped her forearm and led her out of the cell. As soon as she was within reach, Bakura yanked her to him forcefully, tilting her head back by her hair.

"You will come with me back to my chambers peacefully," he demanded. He motioned with his head for the guard to close the cell door. Anzu pulled out of his grasp at the sight of her panther still in the cell.

"But Chisara--"

"No!" he cut her off angrily. Her big, blue eyes widened tearfully.

"You have to!" she cried, but he shook his head sternly. Malik gripped his arm.

"Just let her bring the cat," he said quietly, feeling sorry for Anzu. Bakura ripped his arm from his cousin's grasp and dragged Anzu out of the dungeon.

"You're hurting me!" she snapped, trying to pull her arm free. His grip was too tight, and was in fact cutting off the circulation in her arm. He slackened his hold, allowing her to wrench her throbbing arm free. She shoved him out of the way as she quickened her speed towards his chambers.

After they were both inside and his door was shut, he rounded on her. "How dare you question my authority like that, you little bitch?"

"How dare I?" she repeated incredulously. "Quite easily, I assure you."

He advanced on her with every intention of wringing her pretty, little neck. However, once he had her in his hold again, he found that all he wanted to do was feel every inch of her the same way he had a few days prior. Her blue eyes sparkled angrily. He lowered his mouth toward hers, but she placed a splayed hand between them.

"Don't even think about it, lover boy," she warned heatedly. He slapped her hand out of the way, and she kneed him in the abdomen in return. He spit the arisen bile aside and wiped a hand across his mouth.

"Oh, I'm in the mood for this," he said, practically begging her to attack him again. Anzu swung an arm out at him in a right hook, but he easily dodged it, delivering his own punch. She bent completely backwards to dodge it, touching her hands to the ground and kicking back over.

She jumped out, kicking out at him, one leg after the other. He dodged the first kick, but the second sent him sprawling. He jumped back up and kicked out at her, followed by an uppercut. She dodged both attacks skillfully, but was caught off guard enough for him to grab her arm and yank her back into his chest.

Anzu's breath caught in her throat as he laughed softly in her ear. Her wrists were pinned behind her back, so she was trapped for the moment. He slid a hand from her abdomen down to her most private area, softly caressing it briefly. She couldn't stop the quiet moan that escaped her lips.

He let her wrists go, and she wasted no time in elbowing him in the side. He growled low in his throat and lunged himself at her, landing on her and knocking them both to the ground.

Bakura picked her up, kicking and screaming, and carried her -- with difficulty -- into the bedroom. He tossed her onto the bed and jumped back onto her before she could leap off.

"Damn you!" she hollered, trying to maneuver her pinned legs out from underneath him.

Eventually, after many soft caresses on his part, Anzu found herself, once again, putty in his hands.

- - -

"I hate you."

Bakura glanced over at her and rolled his eyes. "The feeling is mutual, so shut up and go to sleep."

"I want my clothes back!" she demanded.

"No," came his flat reply.

"I'm not sleeping with you in this bed," she said, throwing back the covers to get up. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.

"Try to get up and I'll have you tied to the bed," he threatened. She knew he was serious. She yanked all of the covers off of him and onto herself, turning over onto her side. He made an indignant sound and yanked some of the blanket back onto himself.

A few hours later, Bakura was still awake. Anzu's breathing had slowed long ago, so he knew she was asleep. He turned onto his side and propped his head up on his elbow. He gazed down at her sleeping face. She looked so relaxed and at peace when she slept, very unlike the tight and composed look she maintained while awake -- unless she was more angry at him than usual.

He lifted a hand to push a stray hair back behind her ear, but held his hand still and placed it back at his side. He had only ever seen her calm and composed or angry, but tonight, he had seen a different, more desperate side. She had looked as if she wanted to cry when she was separated from her pet. He wondered briefly at what she had been through with the cat.

Silently, he removed himself from the bed, throwing on his pants quickly.

- - -

The cell guard looked away from the man he was switching positions with as the door opened. He hid his surprise and bowed.

"Is there something I can help you with, my prince?" he asked demurely.

"Let the cat out of the cell," Bakura said in a resigned tone. The cell guard smiled gingerly before turning to do as he was bidden.

"She really is a kind soul," he said as Chisara trotted out of the cell and seated herself before Bakura, staring up at him knowingly.

"The cat or the girl?" Bakura asked.

The cell guard merely smiled and shrugged. "Both."

- - -

Bakura eyed the panther walking leisurely at his side. He was surprised yet pleased to find that the cat had not tried to eat him yet. In fact, Chisara had not even paid much attention to him. Bakura mused that to the cat he was merely an escort back to her mistress.

Once they reached his chambers, he stopped in front of his door. His guard inched around the cat to open his door for him; Bakura almost laughed.

Ever so slowly, he reached his hand down and stroked the panther's head. When she didn't immediately try to bite his hand off, he gained confidence. He stroked her head down to her tail, rubbing her lower back where she seemed to like it the most. His guard stared at him in awe.

"You're alright, you know that?" he murmured to the cat. She licked his hand in response before trotting inside. His lip curved up in a slight smile, and he followed Chisara into his chambers.

Anzu stirred from her sleep at the insistent licking on her hand draped over the side of the bed. She cracked open one eye to see what the nagging feeling was, then shot up on her side.

"Chisara?" she whispered in disbelief. "How did you get in here?" She glanced behind her and saw the other side of the bed was empty. She looked back to the open bedroom door. Bakura was leaning against it, arms crossed over his bare chest. Anzu stared down at Chisara, not knowing what to say to him, if anything at all.

Finally the silence was unbearable and she pushed herself out of the bed, wrapping one of the sheets tightly about her body. She walked through the door, only nodding her head in appreciation of the fact that Bakura had retrieved her beloved pet.

"If you truly must sleep in the office, at least wait until tomorrow and I'll have a bed moved in there," Bakura allowed grudgingly, cursing inwardly and wondering why he was indeed making such allowances.

"I've fended for myself for a while. I can manage," she replied and dragged her feet tiredly to the couch in the main room. Bakura silently watched her curl up into a small ball, holding the sheet tightly to her chest, while Chisara laid down in front of the couch. He shook his head bemusedly and returned to his own bed.

- - - - - - - - - -

That chapter was a little longer than usual. Don't think this story is anywhere near done though! :P It's only about 1/3 of the way finished. Everyone review and tell a friend about this story! XD 'Till next time.


	8. Chapter Eight

Target: You

Chapter Eight

XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD

Author's Note: I'm not trying to be like ten-times sarcastic, but FF[dot]net is stupid and won't allow ----------, so I've had to change my dividing line to XDXDXD,etc. since that's one of the few things I can get to work.

XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD

The following morning Anzu awoke to an empty bed; however, she wasn't displeased to see that the arrogant prince had already begun to go about his daily business. She certainly didn't want to see him -- not after another humiliating night at his mercy.

A startled gasp erupted from her throat when she noticed that not only was Bakura missing, but her beloved panther was, as well. She leapt from the bed and searched the floor, collecting her clothes and throwing them on. She had the surfacing fear that Bakura had ordered her pet cast back into the dungeon.

Once she was fully clothed, she hurried out into the main room in search of her maid. "Tifah?" she called out. Not spying her anywhere or receiving any response, Anzu ventured into the kitchen.

She froze when she saw Bakura sitting at the table with a half-eaten fruit in his hand. He looked up when she entered and stared expectantly. Nonchalantly, he lowered his free hand and stroked the large, black animal laying beneath his feet. Anzu's eyes followed his hand and she made a sound which was half sigh, half indignant.

"Traitor," she muttered, and Chisara looked up at her. Anzu rolled her eyes and fetched herself a piece of fruit. Without looking at Bakura, she sat down at the table across from him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked pointedly. She held up the fruit in her hand which she had just taken a bite out of, musing that it tasted like an orange.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she retorted.

"I don't want you eating with me right now," he said matter-of-factly. She scoffed at him.

"Well, you can go eat somewhere else then because I'm hungry," Anzu said before biting into her fruit again. Bakura looked as if he had more to say about the matter, but Tifah entered the kitchen at that moment. She eyed both of them warily, clearly sensing the animosity between them.

"My prince," she bowed to Bakura before turning to Anzu. "My lady, if you will but give me your clothes, I will have them cleaned and pressed," she offered, extending her arm which had a robe resting on it.

"We're busy right now," Bakura said, waving the girl away.

"Oh, shut up," Anzu snapped. Tifah gasped loudly and stared wide-eyed at Bakura. He carefully set down his fruit and glared at Anzu.

"What was that?" he asked, turning his head slightly to the side and raising an eyebrow warningly. Anzu tilted her own head and smiled.

"I said," she repeated slowly, "shut up."

Tifah fearfully glanced back at Bakura. The Bakurian prince slammed his hand down on the table and stood up slowly. He leaned across the table, his face mere inches from Anzu's.

"Don't ever--"

"Oh, my, it appears I've walked right into a raging fire," Malik interrupted as he entered the kitchen. He looked from Bakura to Anzu and back. Both adversaries slowly turned to look at Malik. He whistled under his breath.

"Should I come back?" he asked, only half joking.

"No," Bakura said with a smile tugging at his pale lips. "I was only about to throttle Lady Angel."

Anzu slid her chair back and stood. "Yes, Tifah, I would love to have my clothes cleaned. As of late, they've been... dirtied," she finished, throwing Bakura an extra nasty look.

After Anzu, Tifah and Chisara had exited the room, Malik let out a low breath. He chuckled and looked at his cousin out of the corner of his eye. "Somehow, I get the feeling that things still aren't going well with the bounty huntress."

"Your perceptiveness never ceases to amaze me," Bakura replied sarcastically. Malik nodded dramatically.

"It is a gift, I'm sure."

"Is there a reason you're here?" the prince demanded impatiently, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, right," Malik said, clearing his throat. "Actually, it's a bit urgent, but that display was so amusing, I nearly forgot. Afterall--"

"Malik," Bakura interrupted pointedly.

"Right," he continued. "Yes, well, the new contract is about to go astray. When you put them off for the second time last night to attend to other... matters," he paused, glancing at the office door where Anzu was changing into her robe, "the Prime Minister of Ascenia begun to think you don't truly care about forming a trading alliance with Ascenia."

"Shit," Bakura mumbled as he rubbed his face tiredly.

"Mhm," Malik agreed. "But never fear, Malik is here."

Bakura peeked through his fingers at his cousin and best friend. "Say you fixed this mess."

Malik grinned cheekily at him. "I fixed this mess." Bakura sighed in relief. "So," Malik continued, "I've informed the Prime Minister that you will be arriving at Ascenia in two weeks to further negotiate your plans in person."

Bakura groaned. "I have to go there?" he whined, reminding Malik of a child not getting a piece of candy that he wanted. Malik hid his smile behind his hand as he nodded somberly. "Do you know how delayed this will put our other contracts?" he continued in the same whiny tone. Malik nodded somberly once more.

"You know I can take care of any other matters while you're gone. You'll only be gone a month afterall," Malik reminded.

"Oh, God! A month?!" Bakura exclaimed. Malik laughed.

"Yes... two weeks to get there, a few days to confirm the contract, and two weeks to get back," the blond informed him in a tone that implied Bakura should already know that.

"Yes, of course," the prince said absently, his eyes taking on a far-off daze.

"You'll have to be extra charming though, Bakura. I don't think the Prime Minister's patience is too reliable by now," Malik warned his cousin seriously. Bakura threw his hands up in the air.

"How am I supposed to charm a fifty-year-old geezer and his arrogant... son..." Bakura trailed off as a thought struck him; Malik's eyes widened slightly as he caught onto his cousin's trail of thoughts.

Tifah stepped out of the office with Anzu's clothing folded neatly in her arms. Following her, Anzu exited the office, covered only by a robe. She closed the door behind Chisara and turned around. Her face fell.

"What are you two still doing here?" she grumbled. Her jaunt didn't have the desired effect -- irritation on Bakura's part. Instead, she shrunk back unconsciously as Bakura and Malik both eyed her with a suspicious and somewhat sinister gleam in their eyes.

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"No, no, no!" Anzu repeated forcefully. "I will not go with you and 'charm' that man!"

"You're my prisoner, and I said you'll go. So you will go!" Bakura replied in a tone that brooked no argument. Anzu's face flushed in anger.

"Fine," she snarled. Malik nodded.

"You two should leave now. I already have your personal ship prepared, Bakura," he informed them, pointedly ignoring Anzu's expression that clearly said 'this is all your fault.'

"I just need to get something," Anzu said before heading towards the office and the laser gun hidden within.

"There's no time," Bakura said impatiently from behind her. Anzu threw another cursory glance towards the office, cursing inwardly at a potential chance lost. If she pushed the issue, they would become suspicious.

"Well, what about my clothes?" she asked angrily. Bakura smirked.

"I'll find you something more tasteful to wear."

"Oh, go get run over by a motor conveyer!" she spat before storming off towards the main door.

"That wasn't very nice," Bakura muttered and followed her to the door.

"Have fun," Malik called with a sadistic grin.

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Anzu found the headquarters's ship holding to be larger than she had thought it would be. Among the many control centers were a variety of twenty or so spaceships of all different sizes. She noticed another room in the back where even more ships were probably stored. She briefly thought of her own ship, her last memorial of her father. It was most likely sitting in a ship junkyard somewhere if it had not already been destroyed completely.

Bakura noticed her crestfallen features, but didn't comment. He led her to the far east side of the room and stopped in front of the smallest spaceship she had yet to see. However, before she noticed its size, she noticed that it was a color she had never before seen on a spaceship; it was navy blue.

"Where did you find a ship that color?" she asked in awe, momentarily forgetting about her anger and sadness.

"It was custom-made for me," he answered with a slight hint of boast in his voice. "It's great if you don't want a lot of attention brought to yourself."

She eyed him sardonically. "Yes, you would need something like that." He glared at her. "And why," she continued, "are we taking the smallest ship in here? I don't want to be that closely confined to you these next few weeks."

"We are in a hurry. A big ship with a large crew would only slow us down," he said simply as he entered a series of passwords to gain access to his personal ship. Satisfied as he heard the monotone computer's voice telling him he could enter the ship, he turned away to board the ship.

His attention was drawn to the overhead tele-screen when he heard the announcement that the Inter-Galaxy News channel was about to begin its daily report of the Universe's Wanted List. Anzu turned her head at this, too. After a few minutes, Bakura was relieved to see that he wasn't among the Most Wanted; nevertheless, he was the first to be mentioned on the next list.

He frowned at hearing his female accompaniment laughing condescendingly at his side. "Get on the ship," he ordered fiercely. She complied, but her laughter didn't cease until she was seated in one of the three seats before the control panel inside the ship.

"Computer, is everything in order?" Bakura asked while flipping on the comm switch. Anzu strapped herself into her seat wordlessly.

"Bakura, baby, how many times have I told you to call me Candy-Ann Puzee?" came back a seductive, feminine voice. Anzu stared above her at the computer unit speakers incredulously. "But yes, dear, everything is working just fine. Almost as fine as you, sweet thing."

Seeing Anzu's amused expression, Bakura had the good grace to blush a tiny bit. "I-It was a joke birthday gift," he stammered. He glared at her quickly afterward, but it didn't phase her.

"Okay, sweet thing," she said with a condescending nod.

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Four days had passed since Anzu and Bakura had begun their trip to Ascenia. Anzu had been horrified to realize that the third seat in the control room would remain vacant; nobody else was traveling with them. With the ship being so small, she had run-ins with him multiple times a day, no matter how hard they tried to avoid each other.

Bakura had, as promised, found her clothing to wear. As to it being more tasteful, she was highly in doubt. The cream-colored shorts were entirely too short in her opinion and the navy blue tank top showed even more cleavage than her own red bodice she had been forced to leave behind. Her shoes did not have the slightest bit of heel, so it took her a little while to get used to walking in flat shoes again.

Anzu was happy to find that the ship provided two separate beds. The only problem she had was that they were not only in the same room, but right on top of each other, much like bunk beds. The two occupants had argued briefly over which bed would be theirs, finally deciding that Bakura should get the bottom bed since he was larger and liable to make more noise getting in and out of bed. This, of course, had been Anzu's reasoning, but Bakura was tired of arguing with her, so had simply agreed to shut her up.

Food came in the less-than-scrumptious tubes, but Anzu was very used to this type of food, so it hadn't bothered her. Bakura had complained endlessly since he hadn't been 'forced to eat such garbage' in nearly a year as he did most of his traveling aboard a larger ship equipped with a full crew that afforded cooking.

Anzu was bored beyond belief most of the time since Bakura had flat out refused to allow her to pilot his ship. He wouldn't even allow her to check fuel status or anything regarding maintenance, so protective and untrusting was he. Chisara prowled the ship most of the time, and Anzu could see that her cat was feeling right at home, so used to long trips as she was.

The ship was usually quiet, and their hadn't been a true dispute between Bakura and Anzu since the first day. Bakura and Anzu argued over taking showers, as well. Anzu insisted on showering in the morning, but Bakura wanted to do the same. The verbal disagreement had soon enough become physical, resulting in a sore shoulder where Bakura had shoved Anzu, and a black-eyed prince. After this, they had finally agreed to alternate on showering during the morning or night, every other day.

"We need to refuel," Bakura announced as he spotted a space port. Anzu looked over at him.

"Already?" she asked, slightly surprised. He nodded.

"This is a small ship; it doesn't hold as much fuel." Bakura entered the coordinates to land at the space port. Anzu held onto Chisara as they landed since she didn't have her cat's landing cage. Bakura shut off the engine and turned to her.

"You stay here," he ordered. She gave a short laugh.

"No way. We need some exercise, too," she finished with a snort. Clicking her tongue for Chisara to follow, she hit the knob for the ramp to lower and de-boarded the ship before Bakura could utter a word of protest.

A few customers looked over at the door as Anzu and Chisara entered, followed by a scowling Bakura. Although she had grown accustomed to the surprised and sometimes frightened stares her panther received, Anzu never failed to smile in amusement. She spotted a familiar blond head and strode over to him quickly.

"Jounouchi!" she exclaimed, hugging her friend in delight. He returned the hug in earnest.

"Who is this?" Bakura asked in distaste. Jounouchi looked around Anzu, his eyes widening considerably when he realized who his friend's companion was; he clearly recognized the sneering man as the very bounty he had informed Anzu about nearly three weeks prior.

"What are you doing with him?!" the twenty-year-old, carefree man asked in shock. Anzu glanced over her shoulder and Bakura with a sigh.

"Don't ask," she frowned. Jounouchi's curiosity was obviously not appeased, but he nodded in compliance.

While Bakura refueled his ship, Anzu briefly informed Jounouchi about her situation. He was quick to protest when Anzu refused to make a run for it that very moment. Even if Bakura wasn't watching her every move from his place fueling his ship, she still wouldn't have attempted an escape at this point.

"I still want this bounty, Jou," she told him soberly, setting down her empty tequila glass.

"A bounty isn't worth enslavement," he countered. She shook her head.

"It may not have been before, but it is now," she said angrily. "I've got to go; I'll keep in touch sometime."

Grabbing her four steaks to go, Anzu hugged her friend and left the small diner and bar to join Bakura at his ship. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at the bag.

"Chisara's been a good girl. She deserves a treat," Anzu defended, brushing the prince off and boarding the ship. "By the way, I put it on your tab," she called from inside the ship. Bakura's scowl went unnoticed.

However, his scowl wasn't the only thing that went unnoticed. Two narrowed eyes from the window of a nearby ship also did.

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Ooo, two narrowed eyes. Who could they belong to? XD Review, review, review! is greedy I'll try to update again soon, but school's started again, so who knows how quickly I will be able to... ;;


	9. Chapter Nine

Target: You

Chapter Nine

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A/N: Hey, everyone. I'm sorry about the delay. I've had a LOT going on, and I really mean that. This chapter isn't as long as some of the others, but I still have three tests to study for tonight, and I think this is a fairly interesting chapter. Thanks so much for the encouraging reviews. I'll try to be quicker with the next update!

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Jounouchi's narrowed eyes followed the small spaceship until it was out of his sight. He turned from his own spaceship's windows and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't like it one bit that his dear friend was now a prisoner to that bastard criminal, Bakura. Anzu may have wanted him to stay out of it, but Jounouchi would be damned if he just sat back and relaxed while she played the toy to the prince.

The angry blond strode over to his tele-comm and started flipping through the files in the small drawer next to it. He had just turned somebody away that very morning; he needed to find that file again. Bounty hunters from all over came to him, each of them wanting to very best bounty they could find. That's where he came in. He had access to more of the wanted files than was shown on the telecast because he had the files weeks in advance, straight from the Universal Police. Another great thing about his information was that it usually contained the whereabouts of the bounty, something the Universal Police could almost never provide.

He pulled out the file as he found it, skimming it briefly. Yes, this was the one. He slowly sank down into the chair and flipped on the tele-comm. After entering in the connection number, he patiently waited for the man to answer. He was about to give up and transfer to leave a message when a gruff-looking, older man answered.

"Oh, Mr. Jounouchi!" he exclaimed in slight surprise. "How pleasant to see you. Do you have another bounty for me?"

"Actually, Kanyey, I was contacting you about that bounty you had asked about earlier today," Jounouchi explained. "It seems that the other bounty hunter has decided not to take it, so it's completely up for grabs, assuming you get to it before someone else does."

Kanyey's facial features brightened. "Is that so? Do you have anyone else asking after it?"

Jounouchi shook his head. "No, I don't, so you should have a pretty good shot at it."

"That's great. If you could, please fax over his locale, too, if you have it. I really appreciate it," Kanyey said gratefully. Jounouchi waved and flipped off the tele-comm. He walked over to his fax machine and slid the paperwork into it. He glared at the brooding image of the ivory-haired prince as it slid through the machine.

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Anzu and Bakura sat staring out the window into the depths of space. Anzu wore a scowl on her face. She had asked Bakura again if she could maintain part of his ship, even something really easy. Again, he had told her she couldn't. Angrily, Anzu had retorted that it must have been nice being a spoiled little prince who got everything he wanted. Thirty silent minutes passed by.

"I'm a bastard."

Anzu looked over at Bakura sardonically. "Well, at least we agree on something."

He rolled his eyes impatiently. "No, smartass; I'm a bastard in terms of birth."

Anzu's eyes widened slightly, and she shifted in her seat to face him. She had no idea what had provoked his sudden desire to delve into his history, but she would listen just the same.

"As it were, I'm not even a full-blooded Bakurian," he continued, keeping his eyes straight ahead at the black emptiness before them. "I was named Bakura at birth, but I never knew of an actual planet called Bakura. You see, my mother knew I was the son of the then-king Bakura." At her confused look, he briefly explained that all male members of the Bakurian royal family were named Bakura, and since his mother knew this, she had named him accordingly: Bakura the 14th.

"Why do you all have the same name?" she chose to ask first, although she had many more questions in store for him with answers she was bursting to hear.

"We didn't used to until King Bakura the 1st became a war hero about three-hundred fifty years ago. They even named the planet after him."

"How are you a prince then?" she asked, the topic veering back to his bastard heritage.

"When I was two, my mother sent me to my father's planet with some type of DNA papers that proved I was his son." He paused as he noticed her horrified look. Anzu couldn't imagine any mother sending off her toddler son to a far-off planet by himself.

Bakura continued, "My father believed I was his son right away; not to mention, I looked exactly like him even at such a young age."

"What about your mother?" she asked. His eyes darkened considerably.

"I never saw her again," he said, hardly able to hide the bitterness in his tone. "The Tevinelivs are a cruel and uncivilized people, often abandoning their children by the age of eight or nine."

Anzu couldn't conceal her disgust. Her parents had loved her and treasured her deeply. She had never thought that some races didn't feel the same way about their own offspring. Bakura glanced at her briefly before continuing.

"Malik's parents didn't abandon him at a young age, -- one of the rare exceptions -- but they were very strict and beat him often."

"He's not Bakurian?" she interrupted, surprised, because his appearance was much like many of the Bakurians she had met. He shook his head.

"Tevineliv is a chaotic planet with no ruling figure, merely a dozen or so lords that make up a shaky government of sorts; Malik's father was one of these lords." Anzu's face had contorted into a glare, and Bakura considered stopping. For some reason, however, he felt compelled to tell her about Malik's past, to help her understand him, even if just a little.

"It's a wonder Malik is actually a decent person as long as you don't cross him or do him wrong in some way. His father was ready to 'finally get rid of him' when he was twelve, and I was fourteen. Malik had accompanied his father to Bakura to ask us to ally with Tevineliv because they wanted to go to war with another planet. My father had rejected him a few times before, and he rejected Malik's father's proposition again to ally with the Tevinelivs, and Malik was abandoned at our planet. He was going to be abandoned at some point anyway, but his father left him on Bakura because he was pissed off at my father for still not forming an alliance.

"Malik and I had played together a few times as children, so we were already friends. Malik is really good at strategizing for war, so my father took him in. Bakurians are a military people, but we cherish and dote on our children."

Bakura could see the hatred and sympathy warring in Anzu's big, blue eyes. Then something lit up in her eyes. "So how is he your cousin?"

"Ah, the bitterness on my father's part. You see, that was one reason he rejected Malik's father's alliance proposal. He was angry with my mother from the day he learned about me. My mother had a brother and a sister: Malik's parents." He paused, allowing the full meaning of his statement to sink in.

"You mean..."

"Yes," he nodded. "Malik's father is also his uncle, just like his mother is also his aunt. Inbreeding; not uncommon on a planet like Tevineliv. My mother met my father when she had been to our planet on a mission of some sort ten years prior with her sister. It's merely coincidence that my mother's brother was the one who came to ask for an alliance because as far as I know, my mother had never told any of her relatives that her son was also the son of the Bakurian king. My father knew Malik was my cousin, but Malik's father didn't know I was his nephew," Bakura finished and shrugged carelessly.

Anzu looked down at her hands folded carefully in her lap, trying to absorb the large amount of information Bakura had just given her. It was the most he had ever said to her at one time, in fact. She felt sympathy for what Malik (and Bakura, for that matter) had gone through, but it still didn't change the fact that Malik was a murderer.

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Anzu looked up at the ship's status screen when it announced that its passengers were halfway to their destination. Since Bakura's revelation of his past, he and Anzu had come to a silent agreement not to bait each other. Anzu still felt sorry for him, and Bakura felt embarrassed for revealing as much information as he did.

Anzu didn't mind being in his company during the past few days, but she would still be happy to get to Ascenia; the cramped quarters she was sharing with the prince was beginning to give her cabin fever. If it were just her and Chisara, she could tolerate it. It was just too cramped with three living creatures though.

"I'm going to bed," she announced before rising from her seat in the controls room. Bakura didn't acknowledge her statement as she exited the small room.

Anzu climbed up the small ladder and fell onto her bed tiredly, not bothering to crawl underneath the blankets. She was asleep as soon as her eyes were shut.

A few hours later, she stirred, feeling a weight upon her. "Chisara, lay at the end," she mumbled sleepily. A moment later, upon realization that Chisara slept in the controls room, her eyes shot open. Her fist instinctively flew forward to punch her attacker, but Bakura caught her fist in his hand.

"Always on guard," he said quietly, raising her now-open hand to his lips. He trailed kisses from her palm to her shoulder. She sighed pleasurably before she caught herself. She tore her hand from his grasp.

"Get off!" she yelled, trying to push his naked form off her. As usual, she couldn't budge his weight. "Damn you," she cursed.

He didn't reply, merely laid seige to her throat with his soft lips. Anzu wanted to hit him so badly, but she couldn't bring herself to strike him; that would end his wonderful ministrations. His smooth hand slid down her chest and abdomen to her most secretive place.

"No, don't," she cried hoarsely.

"Don't what? Continue?" he asked huskily, using his other hand to gently massage her breast.

"Don't stop," she whispered. He groaned.

"Angel, I'll burst if I can't get inside you right now."

"Then what are you waiting for?" she asked, throwing off her strapless shirt. He grinned.

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Anzu yawned and opened her eyes. She bit back a smile that threatened to overcome her upon spotting two pale arms wrapped around her body possessively. Bakura's hold tightened slightly and he opened his own chocolate eyes. His gaze pierced hers for a moment before he sat up casually.

"It's my turn to shower in the morning," he said. Anzu blinked in surprise, then sat up quickly.

"What? No, it isn't! You showered yesterday morning!"

He didn't answer her. Instead, he leapt gracefully down from the top bed. Anzu struggled to keep her eyes from roving down to his naked behind as she quickly climbed down the ladder and followed him out of the room. She paid her own nudity no mind.

"It's my turn!" she said in what sounded suspiciously like a whine.

"I'm showering, and if you think you need to, then you'll just have to get in with me," he told her seriously. She scoffed.

"You wish," she said flatly. She about-faced and re-entered the sleeping room to gather her clothes. She completely missed the wolfish grin on Bakura's features as his eyes followed her naked bottom as it swayed out of the bathroom and his vision.

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Again, I'm sorry it's not long, but I just wanted to get this chapter out to you all since it's been a while. Sorry, sorry! Thanks for reading anyway!


	10. Chapter Ten

Target: You

Chapter Ten

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A/N: Sailor Tiamat: Bakura is pale in this story. Here's an excerpt from the last chapter: "She bit back a smile that threatened to overcome her upon spotting two pale arms wrapped around her body possessively." Oui, sexy, hehe. XP

To the person who said my writing skills are so bad, I'd never pass elementary English: I'm currently a sophomore in college. So, in fourteen years of schooling, I've never gotten anything below an A in an English class. Ever. Just thought I'd make that point. XD

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A few more days passed by, those of which neither Bakura nor Anzu really noticed. Bakura spent most of his time seeing to the various controls and settings of his ship. However, this left Anzu to stare out the wide window into the black abyss, something she really did not care to do. She was beside herself with boredom. Chisara prowled around the ship, occasionally receiving a pat from Bakura or kisses from Anzu.

It was mid-evening on the tenth day of their trip. Anzu was curled up in one of the chairs in the control room, sleeping soundly. Bakura gazed over at her from time to time, but she remained undisturbed, her chest a slow motion of rising and falling. He stood from his own control chair, stretching as he did. He gently prodded Anzu in the shoulder.

"Angel," he murmured. She stirred, and her eyes fluttered open. "I have to stop to refuel. Why don't you go to your bed?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm just a little tired, but I need some exercise." She uncurled her body from its compact ball and strapped herself into the seat.

Bakura set the ship to land at the space port and also strapped himself into his seat. After a smooth attachment at the holding port, all three occupants left the ship.

"Can I please refuel your ship?" Anzu pleaded.

"No," came the flat and expected reply.

Anzu stiffened and stomped off, Chisara sauntering behind her, tail swishing from side to side as if to mimic her mistress's irritation.

She entered the small restaurant area and ordered Chisara a few steaks. After sending Chisara back to the ship, Anzu walked over to study the various brochures and flyers on the Universal Events bulletin board. She failed to notice the small group of men behind her, eying her hungrily.

She jumped a bit when a fist slammed into the bulletin board next to her. She turned quickly to fasten her eyes on a very irate Bakura. He wasn't looking at her, however, but rather at the four men standing behind her.

One of the men narrowed his eyes. "You got a problem, pretty boy?" he demanded with a slur.

"She isn't available," Bakura bit out. A vein twitched in Anzu's forehead, but she held her tongue. The man licked his lips.

"Fine, she ain't that 'portant anyway. But hows about you?" he asked. Bakura stepped back in fear, his eyes wide with disbelief. Anzu would have laughed if she wasn't already in a bad mood.

"Bakura usually goes for skinny, handsome men who smell good," Anzu said in an apologetic tone. She grabbed Bakura's hand and began walking off.

"Hey! We gonna get one of yous!" the drunken man called out indignantly. He grabbed Anzu's shoulder roughly only to find himself flipped over to land heavily on his backside. He stared wide-eyed up at Bakura.

"No, you aren't," he replied simply.

Bakura succeeded in exiting the space port with Anzu in tow. "I can handle myself, thanks," she said once they were standing in front of his ship.

"Fine, I'll let you get raped next time," the Bakurian prince threatened haughtily.

"Been there, done that," Anzu answered coolly.

"Shut up," Bakura snapped and stormed up the loading ramp.

"Hey, your right landing leg is crooked," Anzu told him seriously. He spun around angrily, ignoring her statement.

"Get your ass on the ship, bitch," he ground out cruelly.

Her eyes widened. She silently stalked up the ramp, brushing past him and heading straight for her bed.

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"Stop making so much noise!" Anzu finally snapped after listening to Bakura toss and turn in the bed below her. She let out a frustrated breath from underneath her pillow. It was nearly midnight. She had been sleeping peacefully until Bakura came in twenty minutes before.

"Mind your own business, brat," Bakura answered tiredly.

"It is my business when I can't sleep because of you."

He rolled his eyes and mumbled something unintelligible. Thirty minutes of silence passed by.

"Are you still awake?" Anzu broke the silence quietly.

"Yes," her male company sighed and rubbed his aching eyes which were begging to shut permanently for the next seven or eight hours.

"Why haven't I seen your father yet?" she asked curiously. Bakura stared up at the bottom of her bed in surprise.

"He's dead," he replied.

"I didn't mean to pry," she apologized after a moment. He shrugged though she couldn't see it.

"My turn. Who did Malik supposedly kill?" he asked. Anzu debated whether to reveal more personal information about herself.

"My father."

Bakura closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. A rare feeling of sympathy passed through him. "If your father is deceased, why aren't you 'King' Bakura?" he heard her ask.

"On Bakura, the prince could only gain the title of king when he turned thirty years old, regardless of whether his predecessor was dead or not. It's kind of pointless though because if the prince is at least seventeen, he'll still have all of the authority and decision-making abilities that a king would," Bakura explained.

"Why did you become a bounty hunter? Were you poor?" he asked after a few more minutes. Anzu stifled a laugh at the frightful yet sympathetic tone he used on 'poor,' as if he couldn't imagine being such a horrid thing.

"After my mother died when I was ten, my father brought me along on most of his inter-galaxy errands because he didn't want me to be left alone on Earth. I started bounty hunting when I was fourteen just for fun, but I never told daddy. I thought he would forbid it as dangerous as it is. But when he died, I started to do it as a job, so that I could use my final memorial of him. He gave the Fatal Rose to me just a few weeks before he died." She paused, then added as an afterthought, "And no, we weren't poor. I have a very large inheritance on Earth should I ever decide to accept it."

"We're both orphans," Bakura mused.

"How do you know your mother died?" Anzu asked. Bakura snorted.

"I don't care if she's breathing; she's dead to me," he gritted out, gripping the bottom-side of Anzu's bed in anger. He started when he felt her rest her own hand on top of his.

"Goodnight," she whispered. He relaxed.

"Goodnight," he replied almost inaudibly.

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"I've got good news," Bakura announced when Anzu entered the controls room the following morning.

"You've saved a load of money on car insurance by switching to Geiko?" she muttered sarcastically, rubbing her eyes tiredly. He stared at her strangely. "Never mind, just an Earth commercial," she clarified, waving him off.

"Freak," he snorted. "Anyway, we've made great time. We'll be arriving on Ascenia today, three days ahead of schedule."

"That is good news! No more sleeping next to you!" she retorted with a cheery smile he did not return. He frowned deeply, but then a feral gleam came into his eyes. Anzu fought back the instinct to back up warily.

"Actually," he began with a smug look, "you _will_ be sleeping next to me. In the same room. In the same bed."

"What?" she exclaimed. "I want my own room on Ascenia!"

"No," came his usual flat reject. He crossed his arms over his chest for further measure.

"There is no way I'm going to sleep with you on a planet where anybody will know what I am to you," she continued fiercely.

"Yes, you will," he said in a tone which brooked no argument. "Furthermore, you will obviously be a whore in the respect that you will be sleeping with me at night, but charming that arrogant son of a bitch by day."

Anzu's big, blue eyes teared up although she tried to fight it. "I hate you so much for this," she whispered and turned away from him. An unfamiliar ache tugged at Bakura's chest.

"Angel," he began in a gentler tone, resting a hand on her shoulder, "I know you're not a whore."

She spun around angrily. "You should know! After all, I was innocent before you touched me!" she spat and shook her shoulder free of his grasp. Bakura's features hardened.

"We land in four hours," he said gruffly and turned back to the open window.

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Anzu walked stiffly into the controls room nearly four hours later. Bakura glanced up at her with an odd look in his eyes.

"Make your peace because you're about to die."

"What?" she blurted out, his calm statement completely taking her by surprise. He cleared his throat.

"It would appear that one of my ship's landing legs does not want to come down," he clarified. Anzu's eyes darted to the viewscreen; the large window showed a small, purple and white planet that was fast approaching.

"Tell me you're kidding and you didn't ignore my warning yesterday," she fairly begged. He shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, my God!" she exclaimed. "How could you be so stupid? How could _anyone _be so stupid?!"

"I wasn't in the best mood when you told me, if you'll kindly remember!" he defended.

"I'm going to die! ...With you!" she shrieked. As if to hint at their current predicament, the ship took a sudden jolt, throwing Anzu into Bakura's arms. Her hands immediately went to his throat.

"You're dead. Dead, dead, dead!" she screamed, tightening her grip around his neck. He tugged at her hands, pulling them away from his neck eventually. Another rough jolt rocked the ship, and Anzu whimpered. Chisara came leaping into the controls room, hissing as the ship continued to shake more violently once the ship entered the planet's atmosphere.

"I don't want to die!" Anzu wailed, continuing to freak out. She turned accusing eyes back on Bakura who inched back warily. "This is completely and utterly your fault!"

"If you weren't such a bitch, I wouldn't have been so mad yesterday!" he countered. She glared at him. Another severe jolt rocked the ship.

"Bakura," she said, her voice cracking. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she clutched Bakura's shirt, burying her face into his chest. He looked down at her in surprise. Moody female, he thought. He held her head to his chest and looked back out the window. The ground was fast approaching.

What were they going to do?

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Oh, my. Are they doomed? Do I want to make this fic a tragedy? We'll see. XD Review please! XP


	11. Chapter Eleven

Target: You

Chapter Eleven

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A/N: DojomistressAmbyChan: Here's what Anzu claimed in the last chapter. XP

'"My turn. Who did Malik supposedly kill?" he asked. Anzu debated whether to reveal more personal information about herself.

"My father."'

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"I can't believe you're so stupid! How, _how?!_" Anzu cried. Bakura glared at her sudden mood change once again.

"How did I know you knew what you were talking about anyway?" he pointed out chauvinistically.

"I owned a ship which I operated by myself!" she retorted hotly. He raised a brow.

"So? You're a woman," he said tonelessly. Anzu, as close to him as she was, sent his head snapping to the side when she punched him across the cheek. Stars exploded in his eyes.

"Since we're about to die anyway, I have no problem beating you senseless. You've been asking for it for a long time!" Bakura said angrily, rubbing his tender cheek. He narrowed his eyes.

"Oh!" Anzu cried out happily, and Bakura knew she must have been thinking of something other than him beating her senseless. "Look!" She pointed out the window. "Land in the water!"

Bakura glanced out the window and let out a choked sound. "My ship will be lost forever!" Anzu looked at him incredulously for a moment.

"Your ship or your life?" she asked meaningfully. Bakura appeared doubtful as he contemplated the question seriously.

"Do I have to answer that?"

Anzu's hands formed into tight fists as she forced out calmly, "If you do not land in that water immediately, I swear I will make your last living moments on this ship as painful as possible." A nerve twitched in her forehead, and Bakura believed her.

He miserably, and ever so slowly, entered in the autopilot to land some four-hundred miles to the left in the smoky white water. Anzu glanced over at her panther who was using her claws to grip the carpet of the ship in order to steady herself. Anzu sent up a quick prayed. She honestly didn't know if the gravity of the ship striking the water would be too much for their bodies to bear.

When the ship was about one hundred feet from the ground, Bakura opened the hatch door. Anzu grabbed the scruff of Chisara's neck and held onto the controls room chairs as the air swept her hair all around her.

Just as the ship began to skim across the water, Anzu and Bakura took deep breaths and gave each other a last look. Their bodies were weighed down by the heavy feel of gravity as the ship emerged fully into the water. Once they were able to breathe again, they quickly exited the ship and kicked their way through the water to the surface, gulping in hot air as their heads emerged.

"Chisara!" Anzu called out, panic-stricken. Bakura pointed to the shoreline. Anzu let out a relieved laugh. Chisara was already out of the water, sopping wet, and looking none too pleased about it.

The two wasted no time in scrambling out of the water to the sandy banks which was, luckily, no more than a half mile away. Anzu hadn't wanted to figure out how to survive if they had been stuck in the middle of an endless ocean. They collapsed on the shoreline.

Bakura stared forlornly into the water and cursed excessively in his native tongue; Anzu was thankful she could only understand one or two of the foul words. "At least you're alive," Anzu offered.

"I suppose I can have another one customized for me, but Candy-Ann Puzee was on that ship," he admitted ruefully. The fact that he truly seemed depressed about his sexual computer going down with the ship elicited an amused snort from Anzu.

Bakura finally stood and brushed himself off gloomily. Anzu stifled a laugh and brushed herself off, as well. Chisara attempted, in vain, to shake herself loose of the water droplets dripping from her every limb.

"So, how do we get where we're going?" Anzu asked while squeezing her hair to rid it of the dripping water. Out of nowhere, she found herself staring at Bakura as a feeling of arousal rose up within her. He looked absolutely enticing with his hair dripped wet and his ebony shirt plastered to his chest. She looked away quickly.

Bakura's eyes narrowed as he surveyed their surroundings. "The good part is, this is a tiny planet and we happen to be within 50 miles of the palace. The bad part is--" he paused and regarded her for a moment. "Well, I suppose it's only fair to tell you now." She looked at him warily. He continued, "While the nobility on Ascenia is civilized, the common people are not. You'll need to keep your guard up at all times while we're traveling through this forest because there could be any number of primitive traps."

Her sapphire eyes widened slightly in surprise. "They're hostile to people?"

He shook his head. "The traps would be intended for animals: their food. However, that doesn't mean we can't fall into them, too. Also, this is a very magical planet. Who knows what we'll come across."

She let out an extended breath and nodded in comprehension. Bakura began entering the forest which left Anzu and Chisara only to follow him, the former muttering under her breath that he had better know where he's going.

After a few moments of silence, Anzu asked, "What is the man I'm supposed to charm like? Is he sexy or does he look like you? Come on now; be honest!" She grinned mischievously at his disapproving stare. However, she noticed a feral gleam of amusement twinkling in his eyes.

"I've actually never seen him, but if he looks anything like his father, he's hideously grotesque."

Anzu noticed that Bakura seemed to find great pleasure in telling her such. "Well, what are his good qualities?" she continued warily. He shrugged.

"I'll let you know when he gains some," he replied cattily. Anzu's facial features took on a look of disdain.

"Great," she muttered.

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Anzu suspected they must have been walking for five miles. It was extremely hot and humid; she guessed the temperate to be at least one-hundred ten. She wiped her arm across the perspiration on her forehead.

Her breath caught in her throat as she was suddenly hauled up by her feet and found herself dangling from a tree about eight feet above the ground. She glanced above her and bit her tongue to avoid screaming. Calmly looking back down, she saw Bakura was still continuing along; only Chisara had stopped and was looking up at her, her gigantic golden orbs rounded in curiosity.

"Bakura," Anzu called out calmly.

"Not now, Angel," he replied. "I'm scoping out the area, looking for any danger."

Anzu rolled her eyes at the irony of the situation and crossed her arms over her chest, a somewhat difficult feat since her arms kept wanting to fall down. She noticed that the tree had a mouth, and it was quickly moving closer to her legs. She looked impatiently down at Bakura again. "This isn't doing good things for my hair."

"I know it's humid here, but your hair will live," Bakura said in an irritated manner. He stared suspiciously in front of them, looking for any signs of 'danger.'

"Thank you for your caring input," Anzu started sarcastically, "but I was actually referring to the fact that I am currently hanging by my feet from a tree which is trying to eat me, as it were."

Bakura whirled around incredulously. His eyes widened considerably. Anzu was, indeed, hanging by her feet from a curled tree branch, and the tree surprisingly did have a mouth which was about to enclose over her legs. He blinked and cursed foully.

Skillfully, he climbed up the tree, avoiding it's other 'arm' branch which was swinging fiercely, trying to get him off. He couldn't even fathom the fact that a tree was trying to kill him, but at least he had taken the tree's attention off of eating its other captive. Once he reached the same branch Anzu was dangling from, he leapt onto it and crawled over to her. He took out his laser gun and fired it into the tree's 'hand.' When the tree released her, Anzu easily flipped over to land smoothly on her feet.

She looked up at him from her place on the ground. "Well, jump already before it eats you!" He narrowed his eyes at her before jumping down to the ground with a thud. The tree seemed to protest at having lost its dinner.

"Can't you stay out of trouble? I specifically told you to be alert!" Bakura snapped as he shoved his gun back into his waistline and stomped swiftly away from the protesting tree.

"Oh, kiss my ass. It could have happened to anyone," she shot back. She was embarrassed to acknowledge that she wasn't nearly as alert as she usually was when she was on missions by herself. There was no way she was going to admit that to him.

"It would never have happened to me. I never--" he dropped off abruptly as his step faltered and he fell into a deep hole. Anzu fell to the ground and grabbed his wrist just before he plummeted to the bottom of the pit, and possibly to his death. She groaned quietly; he was quite heavy for her. She resituated her grip.

"Apparently, your opinion of yourself doesn't include this planet," she told him smugly.

"Bitch," he muttered. She dropped his hand for a few inches before quickly grabbing it again. She smiled at his shocked features.

"That was a warning," she said sweetly. He looked below him at the black abyss.

"Fine," he ground out. "_Please_ pull me out?"

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Anzu and Bakura continued on in stiff silence after their unhappy clash with the hungry tree and bottomless pit. To Anzu, the horribly humid air combined with the unbearable silence was stifling, almost suffocating. She chanced a sideward glance at the ivory-haired prince. Sure enough, his sharply defined features were firmly set into a scowl. She noticed that his cheek was slightly purple; apparently, she had punched him harder than he had let on. She almost smiled at the thought. She could scarcely feel any pity for him when he was so adamantly ignoring her.

A rustling in the bushes caught her attention; she was briefly happy to know she hadn't completely lost her instincts.

"Duck!" she yelled. Bakura whirled around to see what had happened, but Anzu had already backhandspringed into a shorter tree; of course, to Bakura, she appeared to be flying, and he stared in awe for a moment. Eventually, he recovered himself and darted behind a tree.

As soon as they were both out of the small clearing, four or five primitive arrows whizzed past. Anzu's trained eyes darted all over, searching for the source. "Not hostile to humans, indeed," she muttered cynically under her breath. She then realized perhaps the hunters were after her cat. Well, she thought, they'll just have to starve today. She clicked her tongue quietly for Chisara to come behind the tree she was in.

Below her, she saw four men cautiously step into view. They looked around, obviously surprised at the empty clearing. What confused Anzu was their appearances; there were two of them who looked humanoid, but the other two were not even closely resembled. The other two men looked like upright crocodiles.

Quickly, she gripped the branch below her and swung her body under it before kicking out, her flat shoes making contact with one of the natives. She cursed the fact that she didn't have her usual heeled boots. Nevertheless, the hit still had the desired effect; the man fell over unconscious. The other three men quickly circled her.

With their backs turned to Bakura, he wasted no time in grabbing the nearest one, smacking his hand over his mouth, and pulling him back behind the tree with him. Within just a few short seconds, Bakura had his head sticking out from behind the tree again, the man he had just taken apparently unconscious or dead.

Anzu was appalled -- and a bit amused -- when Bakura flashed his chest and motioned to the two remaining men suggestively. The bounty huntress had no intention whatsoever of showing her breasts to catch the two men off-guard; she had more talent than that.

Instead, she threw herself at one of the offending men, tackling him to the soggy ground. Anzu noticed even more the scratchy brushes when she was on the ground, but she didn't let it bother her overmuch. She slammed the side of her hand into the back of the man's neck, rendering him unconscious.

She turned to deal with the last man, but Bakura had already fired his laser gun into the man's back. Bakura stepped out from behind the tree, looking slightly uneasy.

"Now I really have killed someone," he realized. He stared down at the man for a minute. "Well, that wasn't so bad." He shrugged carelessly. Anzu stared agape.

"So uncaring! I cried the first time I killed someone," she told him disapprovingly. He shrugged again.

"You are weak. Besides, I was just defending myself," he pointed out. She turned away, refusing to continue the conversation, and a bit angry at Bakura's ruthlessness.

"Have you any clue where we're going? It seems like we're walking in circles!"

He glanced around him. He hated to admit it, but it was true; this clearing looked quite familiar. He studied the marshy ground, but didn't see any footsteps which may have been a few hours old.

"I happen to have a good sense of direction," Bakura said in defense after a moment.

"It's too hot here. Look at Chisara," Anzu pointed at her panther who was panting under the penetrating heat from the two hot suns. Bakura sighed frustratedly.

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance?" a deep voice asked from behind. Anzu and Bakura whirled around. The man seemed to have come out of nowhere. Suddenly, the memory of Bakura's statement about the planet being magical came to mind.

This man was nothing like the four they had just defeated. He was dressed elegantly in deep blue robes with silver trim. His neatly trimmed brown hair was groomed perfectly. He was taller than both Anzu and Bakura, but didn't seem lanky. He had slanted blue eyes which instantly appeared unfriendly though his tone was kind enough. Anzu admitted to herself that he was handsome... very handsome.

His voice sounded vaguely familiar to Bakura, but he couldn't remember ever having met him before. "And you are?" he asked with a tone of disinterest.

"Why, I'm the Prime Minister's son, Seto Kaiba," he answered with slight arrogance masked in his voice.

"What? You are?" Bakura asked in shock. This man didn't look _anything_ like his father; he wasn't a crocodile.

Anzu smirked next to Bakura with a devious glint in her eye. Oh, she would thoroughly enjoy this. "Well," she started innocently, "it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Angel." She extended her hand and Seto Kaiba took it, gracefully placing a kiss on her wrist.

Seto turned his penetrating gaze back on Bakura and asked a little colder, "And I assume you are Prince Bakura?"

Bakura wondered briefly how he knew since Seto had never seen him, but merely nodded in response. He didn't like Ascenia, truth be told. He never cared for magical planets because he felt he always had to be on his guard. Furthermore, he had never asked if Ascenians could read minds, but he suspected they could. How else could they know who their visitors were and precisely where they were on the planet, even that they had arrived?

"I see," Seto said smoothly before turning a capturing smile back on Anzu. "If you'll step closer to me, I'll lead you right to the palace."

Anzu glanced innocently at Bakura before taking Seto's hand and stepping closely -- too closely, in Bakura's opinion -- to the Prime Minister's son. Bakura narrowed his eyes and reluctantly stepped forward a few steps, crossing his arms as he did. He was pridefully glad his clothes had been undamaged thus far and had dried; he certainly hadn't wanted to look shabby compared with Mr. Perfect.

Before they knew what was happening, Anzu and Bakura found themselves falling into the ground which had become a black abyss.

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Ooo, Seto: the arrogant, yet handsome Prime Minister's son whom is about to be 'charmed' by Anzu. Bet Bakura's regretting that decision. XD Anyway, this story is halfway done. I figured it to be about twenty-two chapters, give or take. I hope everyone is enjoying it so far.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Target: You

Chapter Twelve

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Sailor Tiamat: What is Zanth or D&D? Here I thought I was being original by making a killer tree. Darn! XD

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No more than a moment after she had fallen into the black abyss, Anzu found herself standing on solid marble floors. A wave of dizziness struck her, and she steadied herself against Bakura who was also using the wall to keep from falling over.

"It can be disconcerting the first time," Seto offered apologetically. Anzu smiled faintly. She was thankful that the temperature inside this supposed palace was much cooler than outside. She wiped her arm across her sweaty forehead and looked at the Prime Minister's son again as he stood calmly to the side.

She was intrigued to find that he had barely spared Chisara a glance; most people at least did a double-take of such a vicious-looking animal following her around as her pet. Seto Kaiba did not seem to care in the least.

Anzu wondered how much he knew about. Had he seen them crash into the lake through some crystal ball or equally strange ritual? Bakura _had _said the people on this planet were magical. Seto was very handsome, but she didn't look the icy gaze he briefly turned on Bakura; she realized they must have had some past grudge that stood before them. Something about him struck her as brutal.

She glanced at Bakura next to her. He was staring at Seto in much the same way, but Anzu didn't feel threatened by the ivory-haired prince. Suddenly, she spared a minute for the memory that rose up about Malik mentioning his 'sadistic lovemaking,' and she wondered if the blond cousin was merely joking; Bakura had never been sadistic with her except for his forcefulness the first time. Still yet, she had never found herself tied to a bed with him beating her with a whip while he took his pleasure.

She tore her gaze away from Bakura when Seto spoke. He asked, "Shall I have two rooms prepared?"

"One is enough," Bakura replied coolly while tightening his grip around Anzu's waist. She was vaguely aware of the feeling of amusement inside of her.

Seto stared hard at Anzu before nodding. "One room will be ready in the first guest corridor, the fourth room on the left."

"Don't you have to call for someone?" Bakura asked sarcastically with his head cocked to the side.

"I have already informed someone to ready the room," Seto told him in an equally sarcastic voice. "Now, if you'll follow Mischa, she'll direct you to your room, so you may clean up before joining my father and myself in the dining hall."

With that, the Prime Minister's son left Bakura and Anzu alone with the young servant girl, Mischa. She was staring at Chisara, obviously entranced by the sleek cat. Bakura stared at her expectantly, and she silently led them down the hallway.

"I'd say something nasty about Kaiba, but I'm sure he'd hear all of it somehow," Bakura said in irritation. Anzu rolled her eyes.

"And you care?" she asked sardonically. He shrugged.

"You're right; I don't. He's an arrogant bastard with a bad fashion sense," Bakura stated. Anzu looked him up and down; he was clothed in a simple black shirt and equally dark pants. He noticed her stare and ruffled defensively.

"I happen to look good in solid black," he pointed out. She stifled a laugh.

"Maybe you should have started a clothing line instead of illegal trading," she told him. His chocolate eyes darkened considerably and he glanced at the servant girl; she didn't seem to be paying any attention to their conversation.

"My father didn't choose his occupation. He did what he had to when our planet was destroyed," he said curtly before walking ahead stiffly. Anzu blushed embarrassedly. She knew her cheeks were flaming hot. He was right, of course; her father would have done the same thing to keep food in his family's mouths, she was sure.

Anzu and Bakura were silent the few more minutes it took to reach their room. There were only three other doors in their corridor which would be nice for privacy's sake. She was annoyed that Bakura was forcing her to share his room, but she truly didn't mind about the actual sharing part. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen all of her, so she had no reason to be modest. If she was concerned about the amount of space the room would supply, she was almost certain it would be more than was provided on his ship.

Mischa stopped in front of the door and gestured to it. "Room," she said simply, obviously unable to speak very many words in the standard Universal language. Bakura chose to be snide.

"Indeed, this is a room," he replied rudely. Anzu made a disgusted sound.

"Don't be a snob," she told him before turning to the young girl. "Thank you, Mischa." The girl merely nodded with a smile before opening the door to their room and then leaving them.

Bakura strode inside and surveyed the room. He raised his chin a notch. "Primitive, as I said." The room was sparsely decorated, but the nice mahogany wood and finish on the bed and desk did not seem primitive to Anzu.

"The only thing primitive is your attitude. You're practically uncivilized right now," she snapped. He merely glanced at her, unfazed.

"Well, I'm taking a shower," she told him and walked off in search of the bathroom. He scowled after her before heading straight to the tele-com. He knew his cousin would be wondering what became of him.

Flipping it on, he quickly punched in the digits which were easily imprinted into his memory. He only had to wait a moment before his call was answered.

"Ugh, Bakura!" Malik cried as his worried face flashed onto the screen. "I was so worried!"

Bakura smirked. "How touching."

Malik glared at him. "Your ship's AD signal went out, and I couldn't reach you. I feared the worst."

Bakura resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "A lot of good the Auto-Distress signal does when the damn thing is underwater." At his cousin's blank expression, he supplied, "We crashed into the lake."

At that moment, Anzu left the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. She stopped short when she saw who Bakura was speaking with. She sneered.

"Well, Angel, I was worried about you, too," Malik said cynically once he noticed her hateful stare. She laughed.

"Aw, how sweet. You know I missed you, schnooglebuttons!" she replied with false sweetness. Her smile disappeared and she made a sound of disgust before turning away towards the closet in the room.

"Geez," Malik said, annoyed. Then he added with a smirk, "Have fun, Bakura. Keep in touch with me this time!"

Bakura waved and cut off the connection. Pulling his soiled shirt over his head and tossing it aside, he entered the bathroom for a shower of his own.

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The second Anzu exited the bathroom, Bakura began shaking his head. "You're not wearing that," he told her firmly. She stared agape.

"Excuse me?" she hissed.

He crossed his arms. "You heard me. It's too revealing."

Anzu looked down at herself. The light blue gown she had chosen from the closet in their room was tight, but it flowed all the way to her feet. It had two thin straps to hold it over her shoulders, so it wasn't even like she was going to 'fall out' of the formal gown. In fact, she had spent extra time applying make-up and gathering her hair atop her head. She didn't even like dresses, but she had thought this one was decent. Bakura's less-than-complimentary order hurt her more than she cared to admit.

"You just can't be nice, can you?" she asked in a hurt tone. His features softened slightly. She stiffened and brushed past him. "I'm not changing. I'll wear whatever I want."

"Now hold on a minute, Angel," he called after her, shrugging into his dinner jacket quickly.

"Don't talk to me," she bit out as she impatiently waited by the door for him. He pursed his lips in a tight line before joining her at the door.

"Let's try to act like we're not at each other's throats twenty-four hours a day," Bakura told her seriously. "I have to keep my wits about me as it is with that filthy asshole around."

Anzu felt a strong urge to refuse, just to be able to rebel against him. She would have said "no" to him no matter what his request was, in fact, just to possibly get a rise out of him. Nevertheless, with a sigh, she conceded.

"Fine," she replied curtly. When he offered his arm, she turned away stiffly to open the door, walking out on her own. She didn't wait to see if he followed.

"Angel," he called out warningly. She tossed him a glance over her shoulder.

"I've done you enough favors," she answered, implying that walking with him was doing _him _a favor; he seemed indignant at that notion.

In distressing silence, the pair made their way to the dining hall, receiving directions from any number of servants; this palace was even more of a maze than Bakura's headquarters. After five or so minutes, they reached their destination.

Inside the dining hall were already twenty or so occupants, including Seto Kaiba and his father. Anzu was disgusted to find that Bakura had been correct; Seto's father was hideously grotesque. His features were not humanoid at all; he strongly resembled a crocodile, she noted. Everyone else present was humanoid, however. Anzu wondered if these magical people were all truly crocodile-looking, but changed their appearances at will to be humanoid. She didn't blame them. She wouldn't want to look like a reptile either.

Every lady present had her nose turned upward and was staring at Anzu with a sneer. On the other hand, the men didn't seem to mind Anzu's presence at all and were, in fact, brazenly looking her over. Surprising even herself, she stepped closer to Bakura. She could practically feel his arrogant grin next to her.

Ever the gentleman, he seated her next to a particularly ugly lady who didn't try to hide her displeasure at a newcomer sitting beside her. Bakura took his seat next to Anzu, and she was satisfied to see that he wasn't anymore pleased about their seating arrangements than she was; he had to sit next to Seto.

Dinner was standard for what she was used to, but she was a woman who liked spicy food; Ascenian food was anything but spicy. The meat portion was sweet, yet course. It took her a few minutes to chew even a small bite.

"I think it's safe to say your meat wasn't prepared right, Prince Bakura," Seto started. He looked at it with a raised brow. "It's practically breathing."

Bakura didn't answer, but instead stared at him with a barely suppressed snarl. Anzu smiled sweetly.

"If it's dead, then it's over-cooked for Bakura," she said. This elicited many laughs which didn't please Bakura. He gripped her hand tightly under the table.

"Charming, isn't she?" he directed to no one in particular while smiling at her in return. She saw right through it though. It clearly said 'you'll-pay-for-that.'

Dinner otherwise progressed without incident. Bakura held up polite conversation when necessary, but Anzu knew he was dying to get away. The lady across from him was practically spilling her breasts to him which angered Anzu--although she couldn't understand why--but Bakura was too involved with his politely verbal war with Seto Kaiba to notice.

In all actuality, Bakura had not given her any opportunity to 'charm' Seto. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that he had interrupted in some subtle way every time Seto had tried to speak to her. She was annoyed to admit that she found this prospect flattering and adorable. Still yet, Bakura couldn't keep every man from speaking with his bounty hunter. Soon enough, she had become the men's favorite subject for conversation, and Anzu felt more and more the hateful stares directed her way from the ladies.

She carried on conversation with the men politely, but they were just as rude as the ladies, only in a more subtle way. Bakura noticed her patience wearing thin as the after-dinner discussion continued on endlessly. After agreeing with Seto and his father to meet at brunch the next day to discuss the contract plans, Bakura stood from his seat.

"I think we will retire for the evening," he announced. He pulled back Anzu's chair, and she fairly jumped out of it in her haste to leave. Grateful for his intervention and not wanting to embarrass him further, she looped her arm through his without him even having to offer it and bid a polite good night.

Once they were safely inside their room, Anzu yanked off her high-heeled shoes and flopped down onto the bed. "I thought we'd never leave. I've never met ruder people than on this planet."

"You just couldn't wait to be alone with me, could you?" Bakura fairly purred. Anzu squinched her lips together.

"Don't flatter yourself," she retorted. She looked thoughtful. "These people certainly seem the type for a shady contract."

Bakura appeared unfazed at her indirect insult. "This contract is legal," he clarified. Anzu seemed surprised.

"Really?" she asked. He nodded. She smiled.

"I'm feeling so irritable after sitting next to Kaiba," Bakura told her purposefully while rubbing her arms sensually.

"Well, I guess we should sleep then," Anzu taunted, turning away from him. He chuckled.

"I don't think so." He pulled her back into his arms. "You know what happens when you disobey me."

She cocked her head to the side. "I end up kicking your ass?" she guessed with a quiet laugh.

He shook his head. "No, I have to punish you."

"No," Anzu said. "You'll do what I want tonight." She rolled him over and straddled his hips. He smirked, any thoughts of seriously punishing her far from his mind.

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Bakura trailed a finger up and down Anzu's arm as she laid across his chest, her hair splayed out around them. "You can do whatever you want whenever you want, Angel," he joked.

"Anzu."

"Hmm?" he answered sleepily. She turned to place her other cheek on his chest. He looked down at her.

"My name is Anzu. Mazaki Anzu," she told him. He stared into her eyes silently for a moment.

"Are you sure you want me to know that?" he asked even though it was pointless; she couldn't take it back even if she wanted to.

"Yes," she whispered. An expression suspiciously similar to a genuine smile covered his face.

"You looked lovely tonight," he told her sincerely. Anzu kissed him passionately, and he pulled her tightly against him. For the moment, they could forget the unstable state between them.

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Aw, she finally opens up a little. Too bad they still have perils ahead of them... Oh, I just have to go and ruin it by saying that, don't I? XD By the way, I have two new fics I just started. One is a Yuugiou fic although its genres are General/Humor instead of Romance. The other is a Naruto romance fic (Sasuke x Sakura) if anyone likes Naruto.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Target: You

Chapter Thirteen

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A/N: Argh... I've written this chapter like three times. My laptop died, so I was out a computer (lost the first draft of this chapter which was completed). Then I wrote the chapter again on my desktop computer and saved it on a floppy. The floppy disk broke. SO. Then I got a new laptop and re-wrote the damn chapter. Argh, die, die, die! -Bangs head on desk- Okay, on with the chapter.

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Bakura slowly stirred. He warred within himself, struggling to fall back asleep. He felt so tired, yet at the same time, he did not. Finally, he opened his eyes and attempted to sit up in the bed. His chest felt heavy, and he looked down. Anzu was laying across him, her hair splayed out like a velvetty cholocate curtain, if such a thing existed. She sighed softly and stretched her arm out over his throat. He withheld a derisive snort.

"I cannot believe you're the same girl who is trying to kill me," he murmured inaudibly. "Demon by day, angel by night." He glanced to the window where the curtains had already been drawn by the servants to let the morning sunlight filter into the bedroom. He instantly hated the thought that the servants could come and go as they pleased. Such liberties were never allowed in his own rooms back at the headquarters; if the servants wanted, they could kill him in his sleep! Malik always told him he slept like a rock.

Bakura gently extricated himself from Anzu. He hoped he wouldn't wake her, but it was an empty hope. She was on her guard too much. As expected, her eyes popped open moments later and instantly focused on Bakura.

Before a word could be said between them, the bell rang at the door. Bakura padded out of the bedroom and over to the door, nearly tripping over Chisara in the process. The large panther merely watched him struggle to stay on his feet, not moving the least bit herself. "Damn cat," he muttered.

He opened the door to find a short crocodile of a man waiting patiently. The servant cleared his throat. "His Excellency requests an audience with you at brunch as discussed yestereve. He also extends the request to your lady. I will wait here while you perform your morning toilette."

"I will not be escorting my lady," Bakura responded. The door was pulled away from him, and Anzu stuck her head around.

"I will be coming," she told the servant before smiling sweetly and closing the door.

"Don't come to the door half-naked!" Bakura scolded as he disapprovingly observed the bedsheet hiding her voluptuous body. Anzu glanced down at his trousers--the only article of clothing he wore--and arched her brows pointedly.

"And you're not coming," he added after a minute. Anzu rolled her eyes.

"You brought me here to throw myself at Seto, so let me do my job," she said sarcastically. Bakura gritted his teeth as she walked over to the closet. He didn't like his seduction idea anymore. That asshole Kaiba was too slick and sleezy for his own good, Bakura thought.

Swallowing any spiteful comments threatening to surface, the prince strode over to the tele-comm. Malik answered his call moments later.

"Just a minute," the blond said, preoccupied. He disappeared from view, but could be heard yelling in the background. "If you idiots don't stop that incessant noise immediately, I swear I will resequence your DNA and it will feel like you have swallowed a bucket of nails," he threatened, followed by a series of ranting in his native tongue.

"What was _that_?" Bakura asked when Malik appeared in front of the screen again.

"Never mind," Malik replied, waving him off. "Done with the contract already?"

Bakura shook his head. "I wish. Getting ready to discuss it over brunch. I need you to do something for me though." Malik listened intently. "I need you to research the name 'Anzu Mizaki,'" he requested, spelling it out for his cousin. Malik jotted down the name. He was curious, but he rarely asked questions if his cousin was serious, and he could tell he was about this.

Nodding, he queried the name in the search database. "I'll have something for you when you call after brunch."

XDXDXDXDXD

The Prime Minister and Seto stood in polite regard when Bakura and Anzu entered. "So good you could join us," Seto said in greeting although it was clear to Bakura he was only talking to Anzu. With his hand at the small of her back, Bakura escorted Anzu to the table and seated her. Stiffly, he lowered himself into the chair next to her and across from the Prime Minister.

"Yes, glad you could make it, my dear. But you'll have to forgive our boring business talk," the Prime Minister added with a wink. His tone was innocent enough, but Anzu didn't like the look he was giving her.

A fruit dish smothered in a milky substance was served. Anzu was displeased, but not surprised to note that it was just as bland tasting as dinner the previous evening. As the quartet ate brunch, menial babble and chatter carried on.

"Where did you find your magnificent pet, Lady Angel?" Seto asked. Bakura nearly dropped his spoon. He looked sharply at Kaiba then back at Anzu. His eyes sparkled angrily. He had not even thought to ask Anzu that question which was apparently a mistake because Anzu was fair to beaming next to him.

"Oh, Chisara?" she asked in a delighted tone. "Well, you see, I was traveling with my father and one of the planets we stopped on was a bit... well, not nice. There was a horrid man who had Chisara and her mother. He had already killed Chisara's mother to sell her fur, and he was going to do the same to Chisara. I stole her from him. She was only a newborn, the poor little baby." Anzu smiled brightly.

"That is very admirable of you," Seto said sincerely. Bakura clenched his spoon tightly, feeling a vein pulsate in his forehead.

The discussion soon delved into matters of business. Anzu pretended to be uninterested, but she listened carefully to the details and stipulations. She was pleasantly surprised to find that Bakura was, indeed, arranging an entirely legal trading contract. All of the ships which would be involved were fully registered with the Universal Trading Alliance. The goods to be traded were not suspicious in the least; most were metallic parts for machinery. Profits to be made were fair to both sides.

"If you'll excuse us for a moment, we'd like to talk this over for a few minutes," the Prime Minister requested. Bakura nodded dutifully.

"Of course." He stood and pulled Anzu's chair out, guiding her to the other side of the room.

"You really are being legal," she observed. He regarded her silently for a moment.

"My father wasn't always illegal. He did what he had to when our planet was destroyed."

Anzu bit her lip. She had nothing to say to that. He was right. She knew her own father would have done whatever was necessary to keep food in her mouth if the same situation had befallen her. She followed him back to the table when the Prime Minister called them back.

"I see profit in it for us. Prince Bakura, you've got yourself a deal," he said, extending his arm towards Bakura. The prince shook his hand and nodded.

"Seto, we must have a party this evening to celebrate the new contract," the older man said suddenly, turning to his son. Seto was silent for a moment.

"I suppose it would give me more time to get to know Lady Angel better," he finally conceded with a smile at her. Bakura's lip curled up in a sneer.

"I don't think--" he started.

"That would be delightful!" Anzu exclaimed. Bakura dug his nails into his palms.

"Wonderful. We'll see you both tonight," the Prime Minister said and saw them to the door.

When Bakura and Anzu were back inside their room, he rounded on her furiously.

"Why did you do that?" he demanded, tossing his arms out to the sides in an angry gesture.

She tilted her head, confused. "Do what?"

He made a disgusted, frustrated noise. "Agree to their stupid little party!"

Anzu sighed patiently. "It was the polite thing to do."

"Who cares about polite? It's bad enough that we're going to be stuck on this backwater planet for another two fucking weeks since I have to call for Malik to send another ship. I don't want to spend anymore time with them than necessary!" he shouted.

"Stop yelling at me!" she shot back. He growled.

"I'll stop yelling when you stop acting like a wanton prostitute around that savage!"

"Savage!" she screamed incredulously. Then realization dawned on her. She smiled widely. "So, _that's_ what this is about. You're _jealous!_" Something tickled inside of her belly. The thought of him being jealous was somewhat appealing.

He scoffed. "I certainly am _not_. I have no reason to be. I own you."

Anzu stiffened visibly. Without a word, she brushed past him and stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Anzu!" he yelled. "I am not through yet!" Silence. "Damnit."

He took a few steps towards the bedroom door then stopped. Thinking better of it, he stomped over to the tele-comm and punched in the coordinate call numbers he knew like the back of his hand.

"Hey, Bakura. How'd it go?" Malik asked as his face showed up on the screen.

"It went just peachy," Bakura snarled. Malik raised a brow.

"Well, I can certainly see you're excited."

Bakura waved him off impatiently. "Never mind that. It went fine; we got the contract. Tell me what you found out about that name I gave you."

He saw Malik expel a long breath. "Oh. _That._ Bakura, I've got to have more information to go by. It would seem that 'Anzu Mizaki' is a rather popular name though there was a trend I noticed in most of the results... females from Earth?" Malik hinted suspiciously. "Come on, Bakura, spill."

"Okay, fine, yeah. That's her name," Bakura replied in irritation at having been found out. His cousin chuckled and a sly smile spread across his face.

"I see. She finally told you her name. Well, it should be considerably easier for me to research her since I even know what she looks like. I'll have something for you soon," Malik said, flipping off the tele-comm.

Bakura took a moment to compose himself before entering the adjoining bedroom. He heaved in a breath and released it slowly. Straightening his back, he strode confidently into the room where Anzu had stomped to only minutes prior. Throwing open the door, his eyes searched the room.

"Anzu, I--" he faltered as he spotted her sitting cross-legged on the floor in only her undergarments. "Ah, what are you doing?" he blurted out in surprise. Her back was to him, so he couldn't see her, but he was sure she was rolling her eyes at that moment. "Meditating?" he wondered aloud.

She looked down at her cross-legged pose and her hands positioned on her knees typically. "'Duh' seems appropriate right now," she responded sarcastically. He didn't appreciate it. He debated whether to simply leave or continue their little verbal battle. His lips pursed together in a tight line.

"Don't turn into a bitch again," he warned. She tossed him a menacing look over her shoulder before proceeding to ignore him. "Look, I just came to say that what happened earlier was uncalled for and unnecessary." He waited for her to make a comment. After a moment, she nodded.

"I agree," she replied. "And I accept your apology."

He lifted a hand and looked to the side for a moment. "Woah. Wait a minute," he shook his head and paused, "who said anything about apologizing?"

She stood from her meditation stance and turned with her hands on her hips to look at him. With eyebrows arched, she commented, "If I was as rude as you, I would certainly apologize."

"If you were as rude as I supposedly was, it would be a welcome change from your usual horrid demeanor," he shot back coolly. She gasped and narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, go drown somewhere," she snapped flippantly as she brushed past him. Bakura's hand on her upper arm stopped her.

"That," he bit out, "was not nice."

Anzu narrowed her eyes and fought back the shudder that threatened to rise. His gentle, yet firm grip on her arm was burning hot on her skin. She focused on his deep, brown eyes. "Don't even think about raising a hand to me." Chisara let out a soft growl from behind her owner. He spared the cat a brief glance.

"I wouldn't dare," he ground out slowly, equally angered. Finally, he released her arm and stepped away slightly, brushing his ivory locks over his shoulder. She raised her chin a notch and shed the remainder of her clothes. Bakura's eyes widened in surprise, and he tried to look away. The last thing he needed right now was to become aroused by the sight of her naked splendor.

Feeling accomplished, Anzu stalked over to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Bakura gritted his teeth. He didn't like her having any type of hold on him. He watched her nude bottom sway enticingly as she set a towel aside and stepped into the shower. Bewitching little minx.

XDXDXDXDXD

Anzu rested easy on Bakura's arm as they entered the large ballroom adjoining the main dining hall. Her light turquoise ball gown floated around her, making her appear like a serene being. When she had browsed through the closet in their room, she noticed that all three of the ball gowns hanging were cut of the same design, only in different colors. She was a bit confused, but entering the ballroom, she understood that _every_ lady's ball gown was cut in that style. Only small differences were noticable, such as a shawl or wrap, and, of course, every variety of jewelry. She had chosen two gold bicep bands to adorn her bare arms and a simple gold necklace with a sapphire dangling from it. Her hair, which now fell a few inches below her shoulders, was piled atop her head and held secure by a few gold pins. She had also placed a few blue butterfly clips in her curly tresses.

Next to her, Bakura was dressed in a simple black tuxedo with a light turquoise undershirt to match her. He had complained for five minutes that it was stupid how each of his outfits matched hers. Finally, she had punched him in the shoulder to quiet his whining. Anzu had offered to straighten his hair for him, but he had threatened murder if she even touched it. She smiled at the memory.

"Introducing Prince Bakura and Lady Angel," the footman announced.

Anzu felt slightly apprehensive at the immediate stares directed their way. Just like the previous evening's dinner, she felt the sting from the hateful glares shot her way by the ladies, as well as the lusty gazes following her movements by the men. She leaned into Bakura. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye; her discomfort was obvious to him.

"Just stay near me," he said quietly. He itched to point out that they wouldn't even be here if she wouldn't have opened her big mouth at brunch that morning. Standing just inside the room, he observed the lusty stares directed at both him and his assassin. He growled low in his throat. "Kiss me," he said through clenched teeth.

"What?" Anzu hissed back. He tilted her head back and quickly lowered his lips to hers. Her stomach jumped in surprise. As his lips crushed down onto her softer ones, Anzu felt herself melt into his embrace. Finally, he parted from her, leaving her feeling light-headed. She breathed raggedly and patted her hair down. She half-heartedly noted that he always had the ability to make her lose her cool demeanor.

"There," he said, and she looked around. Everyone had gone back to their frivolous discussions and gossip. Anzu was ashamed to admit that she was slightly annoyed that he had only kissed her to prove she was his 'lady' and not to be stared at as if she were a street urchin. She brushed the thought aside.

"Do you want to dance?" she asked, her eyes following the other dancers in admirement.

"Dancing is for pansies," he scoffed. She shrugged.

"Okay. I'll dance with Seto," she told him in a careless tone, beginning to walk away. He held tighter onto her arm and glared across the room at the Prime Minister's son who was, indeed, looking their way.

"I would love to dance."

She bit back a smile and regarded Bakura calmly. "Well, if you're sure..."

"I'm sure," he forced out, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown. He practically dragged her out onto the dance floor and pulled her to him. The music was high-pitched and haunting in melody, reminding Anzu of the quiet music which steadily grows louder just before someone dies in a horror movie.

"She's probably just a slave he dressed in a nice gown to look like a lady," someone whispered from behind Anzu and Bakura. Anzu swallowed hard and focused on her feet. Bakura glowered angrily at the bitch behind them. The lady flushed and quickly looked away.

"Don't pay any attention to such an uncivilized harlot," Bakura told Anzu, just loud enough for the lady to hear. He was satisfied when he heard her gasp. Anzu smiled.

"Aw, how sweet of you to come to my defense. I think you like me," she teased. He scowled and dipped her.

"Don't be ridiculous," he snapped, lifting her back up. She laughed and laid her head on his chest. He found he rather liked her warmth upon him.

Seto seethed in anger as he eyed the couple dancing blissfully across the room. "Father," he interrupted the diplomats discussing nonsense, "I think now would be the perfect time for the announcement." His father arched his brows.

"Now? All right then." He stood and raised his hands. The music stopped and everyone quieted, waiting to hear what he had to say. "My people, we gather here tonight to celebrate a new contract, alliance, and friendship with our Bakurian brothers. We'll enter into a new age of prosperity. So drink and eat your fill and be merry, for tomorrow brings a new day and age!"

Cheering sounded in the large ballroom and the music began again. Bakura tossed polite, yet forced smiles about. Anzu rested a hand on his arm. "I'm going to the ladies' room." He nodded.

As Anzu rounded the corner, she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned around calmly. "Hello, Mr. Kaiba," she greeted kindly. He held a hand up.

"Please. Seto," he corrected.

"Seto," she repeated.

He circled her quietly and reached out for her hand. Although she was a bit disturbed by his actions, she let him grasp her hand. He turned it over and traced circles on her palm. "You are a beautiful woman," he said, focusing his vision on the imaginary designs he was making on her palm. She wanted to pull her hand away, but she remained polite. "But your beauty is tainted when you are with certain people."

She made an indignant sound. "Surely you aren't referring to Bakura."

"He is a worthless little maggot. You can do much better." He trailed his hand from her palm up to her shoulder. She batted his hand away.

"Stop that. Quit being silly," she scolded, intending to continue on her way to the restroom. He stopped her by grabbing the back of her neck and trying to kiss her.

The sound of his grunt and the following thud was loud in the otherwise silent corridor. "Oh, damnit. Bakura is going to kill me," Anzu whined, slapping herself on the forehead. She bent down to help Seto up, feeling rather ashamed that she didn't restrain herself better; after all, she knew Bakura wouldn't appreciate his new client being flipped over her shoulder to fall rather roughly on his behind.

Seto slapped her hand away. "Don't touch me," he hissed. She stood back up, frustrated.

"Come on now. You can't blame me. I am here with Bakura," she told him matter-of-factly. He eyed her momentarily with wariness and anger, and she noted his eyes were different. No longer were they a clear blue, but instead a golden green. His skin also seemed scalier somehow, and she was reminded of his crocodile father.

"You love him, don't you?" he inquired distastefully. Anzu shook her head frantically.

"Of course not! No way, I couldn't possibly. I mean, how could I...?" she trailed off, feeling very confused all of a sudden. She tucked her hair behind her ears, a habit she had retained from childhood due to nervousness.

"Feh, if you love him so much, go be with him and die with him for all I care," Seto told her, giving her his back. She stared at him oddly. It certainly was a strange thing to say.

She began to turn away, but paused and called over her shoulder, "Listen, I'm sorry I kicked your butt earlier." She heard a string of angry words in his native tongue fly from his mouth before she rounded the corner. She slammed her back against the wall and sighed. "Guess I won't tell Bakura what happened."

"What happened?" a voice asked from behind her. She cringed.

"Nothing!"

"Anzu," Bakura growled, "don't play games with me."

"Okay," she said, throwing her hands out in front of her in a gesture of surrender. In one quick breath, she told him, "I went to the bathroom, but before I got there, Seto stopped me. He said you were dirt, he hit on me, and I kicked his butt. I'm _so sorry!_ Really, I don't think he's that injured. Well, maybe just his ego." She braced herself for his anger.

"He hit on you?!" he yelled. Anzu face-faulted.

"Aren't you mad I hurt him?" she asked cautiously. He didn't spare her a glance.

"I'll kill him," he vowed and stalked off.

"Woah!" she cried in disbelief, latching onto his tuxedo jacket. "Don't kill him over that!"

He allowed her to stop him, but she could tell he was dying to find Seto Kaiba. He was tapping his foot while he clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides. She couldn't stop the smile that spread over her face. She didn't try to wonder where it came from. Seto's words kept replaying themselves in her head. Did she love Bakura? She found that hard to believe. After all, she was trying to kill him. She shook her head.

"It's not a big deal, really," she assured him.

"We're getting out of here," he said, grabbing her hand and storming back into the ballroom. He went straight to the Prime Minister.

"Prime Minister, an emergency has come up back at my headquarters," Bakura lied. "Since my own ship was unfortunately destroyed when I arrived here, I regret that I must ask to borrow one of your ships. You can rest assured it will be returned to you in good faith."

The Prime Minister shook his hideous head. "Dear boy, I am well aware of what happened to your ship, and I was already prepared for your request. I was going to wait until tomorrow morning, but since you have an emergency and the party is ending, I can send you two and your cat home now."

Bakura's eyes widened. "We would be grateful," he responded sincerely. Anzu saw a familiar face in the corner of the room. Seto was staring menacingly at her and Bakura. Something about him didn't feel right to her.

Before they could fathom what was going on, Bakura and Anzu found themselves standing in front of Malik. The blond fell over off his chair in surprise, spewing wine all over the place.

"Shi... Bakura, how the hell did you get here?!" he asked in an accusing and disbelieving tone.

"I don't have a clue," Bakura muttered, looking around in equal astonishment. "Weird magicians." Chisara must have been asleep in their room because she was still asleep on the steel floor where she had been transported instantaneously.

"I need a drink," Bakura mumbled, signaling a servant.

XDXDXDXDXD

"Sir, we are twelve hours away from our destination," a humanoid man reported.

His superior nodded in approval. "Good. Wake me when we are one hour away."

XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD

There you have it. Finally. I'm so sick of this chapter after writing it three times. XD Anyway, review please and I'll see you next time!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Target: You

Chapter Fourteen

XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD

Jenny: You know what's going to happen?! Ahh! XD Well, you can read this chapter and then tell me if you were right. I'd love to know what you guessed. (Right here, I would insert a smiley, but FF always deletes them. They suck, wah.)

XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD

Bakura slung an arm over his eyes tiredly. "Bloody Ascenians stressing me out," he grumbled, half-asleep. "Going to give me pre-mature gray hair."

"Me too," Anzu mumbled, equally tired.

Bakura opened one eye and turned his head to look at her desperately. "God, I hope not."

She laughed and smacked him in the chest. She yawned and sat up in bed. "Those were two really tiring days." She glanced around her. She didn't remember, but she was fairly sure she had fallen asleep after being transported back to Yamisha. Someone had apparently brought her back to Bakura's and her rooms. She would recognize the steel room with black furniture anywhere.

"Who brought me here?" she asked while climbing out of bed. Bakura followed suit.

"You fell asleep right after arriving here. I was exhausted, too, so Malik carried you to our rooms," he informed her, paying no heed to the way he referred to his rooms and theirs now. Anzu didn't seem to notice either.

"Oh," she nodded, then paused. "Wait, what? You let him carry me?!"

Bakura sighed. "Not this again. I'm too tired to fight with you right now." He flopped back down onto his back on the bed. Anzu stood directly in front of him with her hands on her hips. She considered arguing with him further, but she was still tired, as well. Plus, he looked so cute laying there in exhaustion. In the back of her mind, Seto's words echoed in her head once again. Love? She shook her head in dismissal. Waving an annoyed hand at his unseeing face, she exited the bedroom.

"Chisara?" she called. The sleek cat lifted its head from the couch in the main room when its mistress entered. Anzu's personal servant was also waiting inside the main room.

"My lady," she said and stood when Anzu entered, "I was told by Lord Malik to wait until you awakened to see if you needed anything." The young girl fidgeted, wondering if she was going to get in trouble for staying in the prince's rooms unattended. Her fears were put to ease when Anzu smiled.

"That is nice of you. Actually, if you could bring some food for Chisara," she inquired. Tifah nodded eagerly.

"Of course, my lady! And what of you...? You and my prince slept for nearly twelve hours. Shall I bring you and him lunch?" she asked. Anzu seemed slightly surprised. She had fell asleep upon arriving the previous evening and had slept the night and morning away.

Turning to face the partially open bedroom door, she called, "Bakura, do you want something to eat?"

He groaned back something inaudible, so Anzu turned to Tifah and shrugged. "In normal-people language, I think that means 'yes.'" The young blonde giggled and curtsied before leaving the room. Anzu sighed and ran a hand through her hair. It was still piled atop her head, but many strands had fallen down due to the russle of sleeping. She padded back into the bedroom where Bakura was still laying on the bed.

"Aren't you going to get up to eat?" she asked with a prod to his shoulder with her pointing finger. He batted her hand away.

"My stomach hurts," he complained. She rolled her eyes.

"Poor thing," she muttered. "Mine hurts, too, I'll have you know, but I'm not moping around in bed." He flung his arm off of his face to look at her.

"Yours hurts, too? It must have been something we ate on that mudball," he gathered. He rubbed his abdomen suggestively.

"Yeah, maybe. Mine started hurting right after I talked to Seto," Anzu replied. Bakura mocked a gasp.

"Well, _that_ explains it!" he exclaimed in feigned horror. Anzu cocked a brow, but didn't respond. She heard Tifah re-enter the main room, so she turned away to go eat, motioning for Bakura to do the same.

As Anzu lowered herself into one of the seats in the kitchen, she set one of her bare feet down onto a leftover bone from Chisara's meal.

"Ow," Anzu and Bakura cried simultaneously. Rubbing her foot and kicking the offending bone aside, Anzu glanced up at Bakura questioningly.

"My stomach and my foot hurt now. I hate that damn planet," he supplied, blaming Ascenia for all of his ailments. Anzu shook her head with a frown.

"Quit being such a baby!" she scolded. He scowled at her and sat down in the chair opposite her.

"My prince," Tifah started while setting down their plates, "Lord Malik wishes to speak with you after you finish eating." Bakura nodded absentmindedly.

XDXDXDXDXD

"So what did you find out?" Bakura asked as he entered Malik's chambers after lunch. His cousin was reclined on his couch with a remote control in his hand. He motioned for Bakura to sit down next to him. He pressed 'play' once Bakura was seated with his attention directed to the tele screen.

A black and white security tape started to play which intrigued Bakura. The security camera the tape was from had been positioned high up in a corner filming the scene in one of the larger meeting rooms of the headquarters. The date in the lower right corner showed Fahu 14, 2655 -- seven months ago, around the time when his father had fallen ill before dying a few months later. Bakura could see three figures conversing heatedly. One he recognized immediately as his father, and another man with brown hair he had never seen. He paused on the third man. "That's you. Wait, no, it's not. That's...?"

Malik paused the video, smashing the button down on the remote a little hard than necessary. "My father," was the curt reply.

Bakura waited expectantly. Malik cleared his throat. "I pulled up Anzu's files. Apparently, her title really is 'Lady.' She's the only child of a wealthy and powerful lord on Earth, deceased as of Fahu 14, 2655. I'll skip the details of her birth and childhood, but here's the files for you to go through later if you want," he said, handing Bakura a folder of paperwork. He continued in a frighteningly sober tone, "Anyway, her father died here on Yamisha. Anzu was with him, but her records end right after her father's death; she was suspected dead, as well. Her father's files say he was possibly negotiating an alliance at the time of his death, but I could only hack so far into I-G Police records, you know."

Malik raised the remote again and unpaused the video. Bakura watched in morbid fascination as a fight broke out between Malik's father and the other man he didn't recognize. Several guards ran into the fray to pull the two men apart. The security camera was so far away that Bakura had a hard time following some of the movements. However, he didn't miss Malik's father quickly pull a gun out of the back of his pants and fire it at the other man. He fell over dead instantly, immediately followed by Malik's own father when a guard shot him in return.

Bakura leaned back in shock. He was quickly snapped out of his stupor when a huge object flew past the security camera. "What was that?" he asked, still dumbstruck.

Malik, apparently having already watched the video, answered, "I actually feel sorry for her." Bakura stared at him; he didn't seem to be very upset at finally witnessing how his father died. Bakura knew Malik hated his father though. The blond rewinded the video and replayed the blur zipping past the camera in slow motion. It was still quite blurry, but Bakura recognized the face as Anzu's easily. He started to piece the puzzle together.

"She thought you did it," Bakura gathered.

"She was too far away to see clearly enough," Malik added. "We wouldn't even go anywhere near my father when he came the last time, and no one ever bothered to tell us what happened."

"This explains... a lot," Bakura said woodenly.

Malik cleared his throat and stopped the tape completely. "So, after I was sure it was her father, I researched why he was even on the planet. Earth and Tevineliv had been enemies for many years, and both planets were trying to ally themselves with the Bakurians in order to safely wage war."

"Fuck," Bakura muttered, rubbing his face with his hands. Malik stood to retrieve the tape, handing it to Bakura after he did.

"You might want to show her soon," he suggested.

Bakura nodded and stood to go find Anzu.

_See, Anzu? I told you it wasn't Malik who killed him!_ No, he thought as he walked down the winding corridors. That wasn't very sympathetic at all.

_Anzu, Malik's father killed your dad. But it's okay because someone killed Malik's father right afterward. _Well, that was a bit better.

_Malik's father killed your dad, Anzu. Do you need to cry? _He choked back a laugh.

Unable to find something suitable to say to her, he decided to merely show her the tape and let her react on her own, and then he would say something appropriate. He bit his lip. Not that he had much experience in being sympathetic. Of course, one would simply know what to say if such an event happened, was that not true? He ran a hand through his ivory mane, focusing on his feet as he walked down the halls.

So engaged in his thoughts was he that he walked directly into Anzu. "Perfect. I was looking for you," he said, latching onto her arm and dragging her off down a corridor. He barely noticed that she had changed back into her red form-fitting bodice and stillettos.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, tugging on her arm. It was already beginning to ache from his yanking grasp.

"Come on, come on! We don't have all day!" he said.

Anzu furrowed her brows together and yanked down, succeeding at releasing her arm. She placed her hands on her hips. "What the hell is this about?"

He sighed and apologized gruffly. Holding up the tape, he explained, "I need to show you something important."

She eyed the tape as if it were dangerous and about to strike out at her. "Okay," she replied, unsure. She hesitantly held out her hand which he immediately took into his and started back off down the hall, this time at a gentler pace.

They ventured into a corridor that Anzu had yet to see and stopped at the first door they came across. A guard bowed and opened the door.

"We are not to be disturbed," Bakura said slowly, making sure the guard understood perfectly. He bowed again and nodded, closing the door once Bakura and Anzu had entered.

The room they stopped in was very large in proportions and sparcely decorated. There was one small table in the center of the room and a large tele-comm/video screen hanging on the wall. The room was bright enough with all of its lights turned on, but only a small amount of natural light was let in through a window that couldn't have been more than two square feet.

Bakura crossed the room to the video screen. "Anzu, this room is sound-proof, so what I am about to show you will remain confidential." Anzu's skin formed goosebumps at the subtle hint of importancy of what she was about to be shown.

"That's good to know. We've been waiting for hours for you, after all," came a voice. Anzu whirled around, instinctively reaching for her gun, and cursing, as usual, when she realized it wasn't there. Bakura gripped the tape tightly in his hand.

"Who are you?" he demanded impatiently. The burly man shrugged casually.

Chisara wandered up behind the five strangers from her place near the door. Apparently, they had not even noticed her. "Come here, baby," Anzu called. The burly man from before raised an eyebrow in confusion and amusement.

"We've only just met," he joked. Anzu laughed with a shake of her head.

"Not you. Her." She pointed at the panther walking around the men, eying each of them suspiciously. One of the men cursed loudly when he noticed the large feline.

"That's the Angel of Death!"

Anzu gritted her teeth together. "I don't like that name," she said, her voice rising in volume. Chisara stopped in front of her mistress, sitting back on her haunches.

"Who the hell do you think you are, coming in here unauthorized?" Bakura demanded once more. He walked over and stopped next to Anzu.

"He didn't tell us _she _was here!" one of the men whispered angrily to the leader.

"Angel, we were not informed you were taking this bounty, but we will step aside since you obviously claimed him first," the leader told her gallantly. Bakura scoffed at the way he was being firmly ignored by both Anzu and the other men.

Anzu waved them off. "No one is getting this bounty," she told them, examining her nails boredly.

"What?" the leader asked in confusion.

"I mean," Anzu explained slowly as if she were speaking to a toddler, "this one is off the market." Bakura scowled. Now he was a piece of meat for sale in some 'market.'

"Don't be stupid, girl. If you're not taking him, then we are," the leader declared with finality, raising his gun to point it at Bakura. The prince took his own gun from his hip and held it out in aim. In return, the remaining four bounty hunters each retrieved their guns. Anzu rolled her eyes.

"Great. I'm the only one without a gun. What's a girl to do?" she muttered. Without warning, she kicked Bakura aside and ripped his gun from his hands, shooting the leader in the arm. He tossed up his gun in surprise and pain, grasping at his bleeding arm.

Bakura slid across the steel floor before glaring up at Anzu. He quickly noticed the four men's guns aimed at him, and he dashed behind the table, flipping it over onto its side. "Give me back my gun!" he yelled. He cautiously poked his head up above the table. Chisara and Anzu were nowhere to be seen, but the five bounty hunters were still in the same spot.

A laser fired from somewhere to his left, striking one of the men in the chest. The leader jumped to his feet to bring his crew back up to four though his arm hung limply at his side, blood dripping onto the shiny steel floor. He didn't last long, however, for another zapping sound rang out, and another laser struck the next man in the neck. He fell to the floor instantly, his bullet gun sliding across the floor. Bakura took a chance and darted out to grab it, dashing back behind the metal table afterwards.

The three remaining men began firing at his table, and he cursed foully. From her hiding place, Anzu fired two more shots. Her aim, as usual, was perfect. One man remained standing and had paused in his shooting when his comrades were felled. Bakura took the opportunity to look up over the table and shoot a bullet into his chest.

After a few minutes of silence, Anzu and Bakura cautiously stepped out into view. They glanced at the five bodies on the floor, then back at each other. Anzu was palming her stolen laser gun calmly. She looked down at it and back up at Bakura. She lifted it and aimed it at him. His eyes widened. After a few moments of complete immobility, she threw the gun over to him, a strange look passing over her features. Bakura released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

Chisara wandered over to one of the dead men, sniffing at him curiously. Anzu turned her head sharply when one of the other felled men shakily raised his gun at the cat sniffing at his comrade. He held his other hand to his mortally wounded chest.

"No!" Anzu screamed, her heart dropping in her chest and all thoughts leaving her. She shrieked and darted over to Chisara. She was just in time to shove Chisara out of the line of fire, but not quick enough to evade the laser that struck her in the chest near her shoulder. She fell over unmoving instantly.

A strangled cry of pain tore from Bakura's throat. He clutched at his upper chest, falling forward onto the cold, hard floor. His unfocused eyes barely registered the sight of Chisara ripping the last remaining man to pieces. With unbearably painful movements, Bakura shakily clutched at his ebony shirt, pulling it down to reveal his shoulder and chest. There was no wound. Oh, but why did it hurt so badly?

With the tape still clutched in one hand, Bakura dragged himself over to Anzu. Painfully, he gathered her pale and limp form into his arms. Crimson liquid from her wounded chest trailed down her abdomen and through her clothing onto the floor. He leaned back against the wall, cringing against the dull throb in his chest. "Wake up, Anzu," he implored though his plea came out as nothing more than a whisper.

His blurry vision recognized the black figure circling them protectively. Chisara hissed and whined loudly, nudging Bakura in the foot. Was it getting darker in the room, or was it just him?

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Oh, dear. Hmm... that _is _a problem, isn't it? Well, stay tuned to find out what happens to them... ;;


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Target: You

Chapter Fifteen

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Jenny: Glad to see I'm not too predictable. XD Your guess was a good idea though!

A/N: No more school for a month! I thought I'd celebrate by writing a chapter, heheh. I had an idea for a sequel to this fic, so I think I'm going to do it. That would be my first sequel in nearly four years (I'm obviously not a sequel fan XD). But I like the idea, and it wouldn't work very well in this fic, so a sequel it shall be!

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"No, that won't do at all. I need the shipment in by the end of this week at the _latest_!" Malik demanded with a shake of his head. The older man on the tele-comm screen sweated a bit.

"We'll certainly do our best, Malik. I'll get on it right now. Give my regards to Bakura," he replied hesitantly. Malik glared back at him and slammed his fist down on the 'end call' button. He sighed and took a moment to compose himself.

Some of their traders were simply too sleezy for their own good. Did Governer Sak'Dah honestly think he could gradually lengthen the amount of time it took to deliver ship parts to Yamisha, so he could concentrate on his other contracts? He had better have the late shipment in Malik's hands by the end of the week or there would be hell to pay. A contract was a contract! If he thought Bakura would not declare war on his puny planet, he had better think again. Bakura's temper resembled a surging flame when someone tried to sneak a fast one on him.

Malik trudged over to his window. He pressed his hands down hard on the sill and glared out at the other side of the headquarters. The headquarters was shaped in a half-circle with a medium-sized landing field in the middle of the two 'arms' of the headquarters. It had proven handy when very late shipments were expected. Bakura did not want to wait for the supplier to dock at the main port and then take another day or two to get to Bakura; the supplier could dock right at the headquarters.

"My lord, I have your messages," a servant said, holding a compupad in his hand. Malik waved him off.

"Not right now," he said, and the servant backed out of the room. Malik squinted as he looked across the clearing into the small window of one of the viewing rooms. Chisara was scratching frantically on the window. Was she trapped in there somehow?

He stepped away from the window and exited his office. He made his way through the headquarters over to what he believed to be the room he had spotted from his office. A guard was standing watch, and bowed his head as Malik stopped in front of the door.

"Who is in here?" Malik inquired.

"My prince and Lady Anzu, my lord," the guard replied. Malik's stomach flipped over. If Anzu was in there, why was Chisara trying to get out?

Malik took out his access card and slid it through the small slot. The door swished open and Malik stepped inside.

"Holy--" he exclaimed, surveying the room in shock. The guard poked his head in the door curiously. His mouth dropped open.

Five corpses littered the steel floor, one of the unknown men torn to shreds beyond recognition. Malik's hand flew to his mouth at the grizzly sight. "What the hell happened in here?"

A loud roar erupted from the far corner, and Malik's eyes were drawn instantly to the source. Chisara was pacing in front of two crouched figures, pawing her foot nervously at the floor. Malik rushed over to the group and dropped to his knees.

"Bakura! Bakura!" he shouted, shaking his cousin frantically. He felt his knees begin to get wet and glanced down. He was kneeling in a pool of blood, more drips slowly joining the puddle as they dropped from Anzu's lifeless hand. Malik's lavender orbs hypnotically followed the crimson trail up her arm and to its source: her chest near her shoulder.

"You idiot!" Malik screamed at the guard. "Get a doctor!" The man ran out of the room as if hell itself were on his heels. Malik turned back to his cousin and the unconscious woman cradled in his arms. "Bakura, can you hear me?"

The ivory-haired prince groaned and opened his eyes. Malik let out a shaky sigh of relief. Bakura blinked back the nausea and focused on his worried cousin. "We really need to do something about the security," he joked in a raspy voice before falling back into the wonderful void of unconsciousness.

"Just hang on," Malik implored. Just then, three doctors ran into the room. The guard from before was nowhere to be found; Malik vowed to find the unfortunate soul. Doctors crowded around him, and Malik jumped up to let them lift the injured prince and lady into their arms.

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Anzu cracked open her swolen eyes a millimeter of an inch. Her vision blurred the figures surrounding her beyond recognition. Her head throbbed so badly it felt as if it would vibrate completely off her shoulders. The thought of her shoulders brought an even more immense pain to the forefront of her mind. Her left shoulder was numb with the dull ache of injured agony.

"Dad?" she croaked.

"She's delirious with fever," a voice said from beside her.

"So is he," someone said from her other side.

"Do something, you imbeciles!"

"We're trying, my lord! They must have laid unattended for at least an hour."

The voices sounded far away to her, yet at the same time, they blasted through her eardrums loudly. She struggled to reach out to someone, anyone, but she couldn't move her arms.

"I don't want to hear anymore excuses from someone of your caliber. If I do, you won't live to regret it," someone threatened.

Anzu's eyes slid shut again. Blissful unconsciousness welcomed her back into its hold.

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"There, there. Better, are we?" a female doctor asked as Anzu's sapphire orbs slowly opened. She scanned the room critically and nervously before resting her sights on the blonde in front her. Of course, she was blonde. Everyone in the damn headquarters was blonde or ivory-haired except her. Oh, that was bitter, she thought to herself. That was the pain talking. She cringed at the still noticeable, though less intense, ache in her shoulder.

"Better?" Anzu murmured in exhaustion. She gasped and bolted up in the bed, ignoring the lightning-bolt pain that shot up her arm. "My cat! My cat! Where's my cat?" she cried, her voice cracking.

"Calm down, dear; it's all right. Your cat is right here," the doctor cooed, gently pushing Anzu back onto the bed. As if to put her mistress at ease, the panther raised her head from its resting place on her arms. The injured bounty hunter inhaled deeply and allowed herself to lay back on the bed.

"I was shot," she stated blandly, clutching at her shoulder. Her near-death experience came flooding back into memory; her nightmares had shattered its completeness, but she had pieced it back together like a puzzle.

"Yes, you were," the doctor replied gently.

Anzu shook her head in confusion. A small sob escaped her lips. "It hurt," she whispered.

The doctor's eyes watered over and she smiled. It always cut into her soft heart when her patients did not completely understand what happened to them. She pushed Anzu's hair away from her sweat-soaked neck, padding her tenderly with a cloth.

"I'm sure it did, sweetie," the doctor said, setting the cloth aside and checking Anzu's heart rate.

"You're damn right it did," a cynical voice complained from Anzu's other side. Tiredly, she turned her head over. Her eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat. Bakura was staring intently at her from his place in a bed next to hers. Just then, Malik entered the room, followed by another doctor.

"What are you doing here?" Anzu asked in bafflement. Bakura made a very sour expression.

"What a splendid question. Would anyone care to answer? I have no wound, but I hurt like hell," he stated with an irritated flip of his hand revealing his uninjured skin on his shoulder. Anzu flopped her head back over onto the other side and struggled to stay awake. Malik glanced at the doctor next to him uncomfortably. Anzu noticed he had Bakura's tape tucked under his arm. She scowled. He better had not have watched it; Bakura said it was confidential!

The doctor next to him cleared his throat hesitantly. "Well, my prince, it would seem that someone has... well, you see, someone has apparently _cursed _you."

Bakura lifted a brow. "And you know this for certain?" he asked monotonely. His disbelief was obvious even to the dumbest of people.

"Well," the doctor continued stiffly, "the two of you are bonded somehow and can feel each other's pain. I know of nothing that can do such a thing besides a curse."

"Oh, no," Anzu groaned. Bakura looked sharply at her.

"'Oh, no' _what_?" he hissed. "What did you do?"

"You're already blaming me?" Anzu shrieked, bursting into tears. Bakura shrank away in surprise, cringing at the sight.

"You're crying?!" he exclaimed. Anzu ignored him and wailed in her bed, her face buried in her hands.

"It's the medication she's on, my prince," the female doctor supplied quietly, rubbing Anzu's back comfortingly.

"Apologize so she'll stop!" Malik scolded. Bakura made a sound of disgust.

"What? Oh, fine," he growled. "Anzu, I'm sorry. It's not your fault. What were you going to say?"

Anzu seemed to miss the fact that Bakura had revealed her true name to everyone present, or she simply did not care at the moment. She hiccoughed and blew her nose into a tissue offered by the female doctor. She glared at Bakura and focused herself on Malik, a prospect Bakura found highly amusing considering how she normally felt about his cousin. "Seto said something to me in his native language after I rejected him. Maybe he was mad enough to curse us."

Bakura gasped in anger. "Ready the troops; we're going to war!" he declared, sitting up in bed. Malik tsked.

"Bakura, lay down. You don't even know for sure that Seto Kaiba did anything," he reprimanded.

"I do not care because I do not like him," Bakura maintained stubbornly.

"We are not declaring war yet, and that is final. Now_ lay down._" Malik ordered, narrowing his eyes threateningly. Bakura finally complied after displaying his annoyance by pounding his fist on the bedside table (and trying to hide the cringe of pain it caused).

"Ow," Anzu whispered, rubbing her fist.

"After you have properly rested," Malik continued in an authoritative tone, "we will contact the Prime Minister and get to the bottom of this."

Feeling that the conversation was over, Anzu allowed sleep to overtake her once more, feeling quite willing to sleep away her pain and any thoughts of a curse placed on her and Bakura.

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"I'm fine!" Bakura grumbled, awakening Anzu. She opened her eyes, noticing they were not swolen anymore. She turned her attention to the bed next to her. Bakura was trying to get out of bed, but a doctor was arguing with him. Deciding to ignore them, she climbed off of the bed and gently padded over to her clothing laying on a chair nearby.

"Are you sure, my prince? You seem like you should rest another day," the doctor insisted. He reminded Anzu of an overprotective mother.

"Yes, I'm-- Anzu!" Bakura exclaimed, noticing Anzu standing off to the side, gathering her clothing into her arms, ever mindful of her wrapped injured shoulder.

"What?" she replied without looking up.

"What are you doing standing?" the prince demanded.

"What are you doing laying?" she retorted with a raised brow. Bakura looked pointedly at the doctor.

"Oh, fine," the blond man conceded in irritation.

"Thank you. Get back to work; I'm fine!" Bakura reassured the doctor, standing and shooing him from the room.

Bakura tugged on the gown he was wearing, feeling silly and feminine. He glanced around for his own clothes, feeling satisfied when he found them laying beside his bed. Someone had the nerve to put him in a dress! After both occupants were changed, they turned and regarded each other silently.

"I'll kill that bastard if he did this to us," Bakura vowed angrily.

"Aw," Anzu cooed playfully. "You don't like feeling my physiological changes? It's too bad I'm not expecting my period."

"I almost died," he replied flatly, not appreciating her joke in the least.

"Sorry about that. I'll try to die on my own next time," she said lightly though he noticed the flicker of hurt in her eyes.

"You know that's not what I meant," he replied, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Anzu nodded more to herself than him. She stared at him for a minute more before turning toward the exit.

"Come on, Chisara," she called, approaching the door. The panther rose, her tail swishing behind her.

"Where are you going?" Bakura asked. He suspected that she was still hurt about his thoughtless comment. She shrugged without turning back to look at him.

"To eat, I guess."

Anzu felt his arms circle her from behind. She held back a smile. He told her, "I'll have someone bring us something to eat in our rooms."

"Don't you want to call Seto up and bite his head off?" she wondered aloud. He pulled her tighter against him, careful not to put pressure on either of their shoulders. He trailed feather-light kisses across her neck.

"That can wait until tomorrow morning," he responded suggestively. He trailed a finger up and down her arm; goosebumps followed his soft touch. "Thanks for not dying."

She smiled. "Well, that didn't exactly seem appealing to me either. But I know something that _does_ seem appealing..." she trailed off, throwing her uninjured arm around his neck.

Although the pair was up most of the night filling in for lost time, Bakura and Anzu awoke for good early in the morning. Anzu admired Bakura's slim and lithe figure as he rose from the bed and padded over to the closet. He was not even a bit modest when it came to his nudity. She sat up in bed, holding a sheet over her chest.

"You're getting up already?" she pouted. He glanced over his shoulder at her puppydog expression.

"I have to check maintenance on all ships today," he started suggestively. "Want to come?"

Anzu's expression perked and she nodded eagerly. "Yes!" Abandoning the sheet and bed, Anzu hopped out of the bed and over to the closet. Bakura's deep chocolate eyes followed her purposefully. She caught his gaze and hid her smirk.

"Or we could stay here," Bakura said.

"Choose between you and ships," Anzu murmured. She held out her hands as if weighing the options, and said cattily, "I choose the ships."

He feigned a sigh. "Your loss." He tugged his black-as-night shirt over his head and arms, straining their shared injury as he did.

"Ow! Be gentle, you big oaf," Anzu said accusingly, rubbing her shoulder. Bakura's eyes narrowed as the memory of their curse came to the forefront of their minds.

"All right, first we call that imbecile and see if I need to blow his planet to smithereens," he told her, motioning with his head for her to follow him.

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Ah, a curse. How mean. XD It would be funny if they were stuck that way forever, but hmm... I just don't know. XD This isn't really a funny-type fic anyway. Oh, whatever, we'll just see! XP


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Target: You

Chapter Sixteen

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DojomistressAmbyChan: If you're perverted, then so am I because I thought that same thing about 'that night.' XD

Wanted to get this out before Christmas. Happy holidays to everyone!

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"Bakura, stop dragging me around! I'm sure we'll get to talk to Seto whether we walk or run," Anzu pointed out. Bakura was near to flying in his haste to get to the main office where his contracts were stored. He had already spouted a stream of curses at the fact that he did not have the Prime Minister of Ascenia's call number memorized already. The aggravated prince didn't respond, but slowed down nevertheless.

Truthfully, Anzu was in as much of a rush to find out what had happened to them as he was, but she was feeling rather ill suddenly. She was sure Bakura probably felt it; he was simply better at ignoring it. She was scared to find out that they were, indeed, cursed, but she was even more scared of not finding out at all. What if they were stuck like this for the rest of their lives? If one of them was ever mortally wounded and died, the other would soon follow.

When she thought of that situation and placed Bakura and herself in the key roles, it seemed rather romantic, but even so, she certainly didn't want to die. She was starting to come to terms with the way she felt about Bakura, and she didn't want some stupid curse to ruin everything. She knew he felt something for her, too, even though he would not admit to it.

She had all but forgotten the bounty on Bakura's head; she had no intention of ever killing him--not on purpose, at least. In fact, she thought, with a blush, that she wouldn't mind spending her life with him, assuming he cleaned up his act.

Her thoughts scattered quickly when her stomach rumbled angrily as the two of them rounded a corner. "Bakura, I--" she stopped abruptly, whipping her head away from him as she emptied her stomach's contents all over the spotless, steel floor. As she gagged mercilessly, she heard him make a choked sound from behind her before he was vomiting right next to her.

Anzu was beet red with embarrassment, but Bakura didn't seem to care as he motioned a servant over to clean up the mess. "Are you all right?" he asked. Anzu was touched that he truly seemed concerned.

"I-I'm sorry. Just a little post-injury sickness, you know," she said apologetically. She turned to the servant, bowing deeply. "Please forgive me for your trouble." Bakura's eyes rounded as he watched her apologize to a servant. The young girl stuttered, glancing at him once in confusion.

"My lady, it is no problem, I assure you," she said, baffled by the respectful behavior.

"Come on, let's go have a nice chat with the Prime Minister and his son," Bakura said, now angrier than ever. He gently grasped Anzu's uninjured arm and led her toward a door at the end of the hall they had just turned down before their illness overcame them.

Entering the large office, Bakura strode over to his desk. Malik ordered the other occupants out of the room, understanding Bakura was ready to find out what the hell had happened to him and Anzu. He stepped over beside his cousin, but out of view of the vidscreen. The prince entered in the Ascenian palace call number. While waiting for someone to answer on the other planet, he gently pushed Anzu down into a chair, feeling her forehead for a temperature.

"I'm fine now, really," she assured him. Malik looked at his cousin questioningly.

"We had an accident in the corridor," he explained vaguely. Malik nodded in comprehension, offering Anzu a glass of water which she took gratefully.

Finally, an older servant answered the tele-comm. Bakura didn't wait for him to speak, but rather demanded that the Prime Minister and his son receive the call immediately. The man seemed somewhat offended at the rudeness, but left to retrieve his masters anyhow.

After a few minutes, a sleepy brunette and crocodile-like man appeared on the screen. "Prince Bakura, I feel obligated to inform you it is three in the morning over here," Seto said stiffly, sitting down in a chair in front of the tele-comm. His father did the same.

"Drink some caffeine," Bakura replied, uncaring. "Prime Minister, Seto Kaiba, I have some very interesting news for you that I thought you'd simply love to know about," he began nonchalantly. "A few days ago, Lady Angel was unfortunately gravely injured and nearly died."

"Is she all right?" Seto interrupted, startled. Bakura sighed impatiently and adjusted the tele-comm to show both himself and Anzu.

"She is fine now. Anyway, the interesting thing is when she almost died, so did I. However, _I _was not the one who was injured. Naturally, once I regained consciousness, I found this very strange and asked my physician about it. Imagine my amusement when he told me Angel and I were _cursed._ What a joke, right? A curse? But he assured me it is so," Bakura said in a light tone, carefully observing Seto for any change in his countenance; he saw none.

"This is fascinating, Prince Bakura, but I have to wonder why you are telling us this," the Prime Minister said cautiously, glancing at his son out of the corner of one beady eye.

"I agree. I would much rather be sleeping right now," Seto added in irritation. Anzu frowned at how quickly he changed his tune from caring to uncaring.

"Well, Angel told me you and she had a rather interesting conversation which, unfortunately for you, ended in rejection. Now, I could be _completely _wrong, but it made me wonder if maybe you placed a curse on us--_accidently_, of course," Bakura ended, tilting his head as he waited for a response.

The Prime Minister merely stared at his son. Seto Kaiba didn't move an inch nor did he change his expression. "I am sure I do not have a clue what you are talking about." Anzu made an indignant sound at his denial.

Bakura laughed. "Of course, of course. Oh, please excuse me for a moment," he said, turning his head toward to the side. "I'm sorry; what was that, Malik? The warships are ready to attack once we find out who cursed us? Wonderful!" Malik snorted and shook his head in amusement at his cousin's tactics. Bakura turned back to the screen. "Anyway, forgive the interruption of your sleep. If you happen to find anything out about our little predicament, please contact me immediately. Goodnight to you," he said, shutting off the connection. He turned to Anzu, an angry gleam once again in his eyes.

She looked back at him. "What do we do now? I swear if that Seto Kaiba ever gets a bounty on his head..." she trailed off, fisting her hand. The anger disappeared from Bakura's features, and he grinned at her.

"Don't worry. His sleeze of a father will make him undo the curse, I'm sure of it. He's a petrified weakling. I am feeling rather nice and will not have their planet destroyed if they will just lift this fucking curse."

Not caring one way or the other if Ascenia would still exist in a few days time, Anzu nodded tiredly, rubbing her eyes. Bakura rose from his chair, feeling her fatigue and still-aching stomach and shoulder. "I'll take you back, so you can nap, then I have something to show you."

At the unasked request, Malik retrieved a videotape from a locked drawer and placed it in his cousin's waiting hand. Anzu recognized the tape as the same one Bakura had tried to show her before they were almost killed. Anzu yawned and followed Bakura out of the room and back to their quarters, fully intending to take him up on his offer of sleep. She completely forgot about his offer from the previous day to let her help him inventory the ships; the only thing on her mind was closing her eyes for the next few hours and, hopefully, ridding herself of the nausea plaguing her stomach.

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The vivacious brunette awoke some hours later in the early evening. Tifah had been kind enough to draw the curtains in order to keep the unwanted afternoon sun from filtering into the room. Anzu blinked away any remaining sleep and sat up in the oversized bed; she felt overwhelmed by its size when Bakura was not laying next to her in it.

Feeling refreshed, she stood from the bed and began the search for her clothes. She had changed into a nightgown before collapsing into the bed. Her search around the room proved fruitless. Stepping out into the main room, she called for her maid. As reliable as ever, the young girl entered from the kitchen.

"Yes, my lady?" she questioned.

"Do you know where my clothes are?" Anzu asked, looking around the room in case she was simply missing them.

"Oh!" Tifah piped. "I took them to be cleaned. They should be done within a half hour. Do you mind waiting?"

Anzu shook her head. "Of course not. I'll just change into one of the dresses in the closet until then. Thank you; that was very considerate of you." She padded over to the closet and retrieved a lightweight yellow sundress. She quickly slipped it on, ever mindful of her shoulder.

Tifah re-entered the room and motioned toward the kitchen. "I've prepared some herbal tea for aches. Would you like a cup?"

Anzu smiled at the blonde. "That would be wonderful," she said, instinctively raising her hand to her tender shoulder. She and Chisara followed the girl into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Gratefully accepting the mug, she took a sip and breathed in the steaming scent. Noticing Tifah standing off to the side, Anzu pulled out the chair next to hers. "Please, join me."

Tifah smiled and sat down. She twisted her dress in her hands for a moment before turning in her seat towards Anzu. "My lady, I hope you will not think lowly of me for saying this, but I am so glad to be your maid."

Anzu tilted her head slightly. "I'm flattered, but... why?"

The girl leaned in conspiratorially. "I was Lady Careen's maid before you arrived. It is terrible of me to say, but she was a very mean mistress!"

The bounty huntress felt a severe twinge of jealousy at the knowledge that Careen was once Bakura's mistress. However, she forced herself to brush it aside. She took another sip of her tea, snorting in sarcastic amusement. "Gee, go figure." At Tifah's blank look, she expanded. "She wasn't very nice to me either the one time I met her."

Tifah looked appalled. "The nerve! My lady, you should have told my prince!"

Anzu waved her off. "Oh, no, it was nothing I couldn't handle. Anyway, as much as I would love to stay here with you, Bakura said he had something to show me when I was rested. We'll have tea again later."

Tifah smiled and nodded eagerly. "I would enjoy that, my lady!"

As Anzu reached the office she had remembered from earlier, she hoped Bakura was there; she had no desire to search the entire headquarters for him. She was relieved to find him sitting at his desk, staring at the far wall as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"Bakura?" she inquired cautiously. She seemed to startle him out of his thoughts, for his gaze jerked over to her. He seemed a bit uneasy. He held up the videotape from before and motioned for her to sit down in one of the vacant chairs.

"I had a viewing screen moved in here," he informed her, inserting the tape into the video slot in the casing. He looked directly at her. "Don't run off before you see the whole thing." At that, Anzu's neck hair stood on end.

Nothing seemed unusual as the video began, proving to be a security recording of some type. Anzu could see three distinctive figures at a lower point in some room. She instantly recognized one of them. "Dad!" she cried, scooting to the edge of her seat. Bakura saw her pupils move ever so slightly to the left to focus on the other familiar figure on the tape. "And Malik!" The prince closed his eyes. Sure enough, she thought the tyrant in the video was Malik.

Anzu watched the tape as if in a trance, replaying the events she had witnessed firsthand almost nine months ago. Nine months ago? Had she really been on Yamisha for almost two months already? The realization surprised her somewhat, but she brushed it aside, the lure of the video drawing her back.

She didn't want to watch. She knew what was going to happen. She had to leave! How, she found she couldn't stand yet; she needed to see. She cried out when the physical fight soon turned deadly with a laser fired into her father. Tears streamed from her eyes, and the reality of the video struck her like the laser to her shoulder. "Oh, God! How could you?! How could you show me this?!"

She bounded from her chair, running toward the door. Bakura grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back to him, forcing her to stand and watch the video. She screamed and cried, writhing desperately in his grasp. "Let me _go!_" she wailed, elbowing him in the side with her good arm. He grunted, but didn't loosen his grip.

"Anzu, stop! That's not Malik! He didn't do it!" Bakura implored, turning her to face him and shaking her slightly. She pounded on his chest and kicked him in the shin. He accepted the physical punishment to his person; he wondered if she even noticed the pain she was also inflicting on herself. She finally slumped to a crumpled figure at his feet, her shoulders shaking with her sobs. He kneeled in front of her, lifting her chin up to his level.

"He was all I had after mom died!" she sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "How could you even butt into my personal business like that!"

"I had to show you. You needed to know the truth. You needed to know it was Malik's _father _who killed your dad," he told her, trying to make her understand his intentions. He pushed her tear-damp hair out of her face and rested his hands on her shaking shoulders. "Listen, when he was here, Malik and I wouldn't go anywhere near him. We didn't want anything to do with him. We never even knew that he died in that way," Bakura said, referring to how the guard shot Malik's father after he killed Anzu's. "We never knew a lord from Earth died that day either. Apparently, Earth and Tevineliv weren't--or aren't--on the best of terms. Both planets wanted my father to ally with them, so they could defeat the other in war."

Anzu had stopped crying; she only shivered or sobbed ever so often. She focused on her feet crossed in front of her. "After I saw dad die, I just ran and ran and ran. I didn't stop running until I got to our ship. I think I held Chisara for hours; she was an orphan, just like me." Bakura stroked her hair, feeling and enduring her pain through their shared bond.

Servants and nobility alike were perfectly silent as he carried her through the corridors of the headquarters and back to their rooms. Malik didn't even need to ask what was wrong as he passed his cousin; the quiet crying was a dead give-away.

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Bakura watched Anzu's chest rise and fall slowly as she slept the late night hours away. He glanced at the raven-colored clock on the wall; he could still get some work done. He didn't want to leave her side, he realized in confusion. What was it about her that was so captivating? Surely she was beautiful, but he had seen prettier women. It couldn't be her good social skills, he thought sardonically. She _had_ tried to kill him numerous times. He furrowed his brows in thought. He hadn't ever felt this way about anyone else, so how could he possibly classify the feeling?

He slowly extricated himself from the bed, hoping his cousin would still be awake at nearly midnight. Maybe he would have some answers.

A little while later, Anzu reached out to the space next to her. Feeling nothing but cool air, she opened her eyes and looked around the room. She rolled over onto her back and listened for any sign that Bakura was still in their rooms. She heard very faint voices coming from the main room. She padded over to the door, quietly opening it a crack.

"Well, how do you feel?" she heard Malik ask. Bakura sighed agitatedly.

"She's so annoying!" he exclaimed. Anzu had a feeling they must be talking about her. She glared at Bakura though he obviously did not know she was there. She was annoying? _Well!_ "She's nearly impossible to be around because you never know when she's going to physically harm you," he continued disdainfully. Anzu glanced down at herself in hurt. She didn't think she _always_ tried to hurt him. In fact, she hadn't raised a hand to him at all recently with the exception of that same day, which she hardly counted since she was hysterical at the time. "She's nothing but a problem," Bakura said with finality.

Tears gathered at the corners of Anzu's eyes, and she fiercefully fought them back. Damnit, why was she crying so much lately? If it was that medication, she'd rather suffer through her injury. Her heart feeling heavy in her chest, she quietly closed the door and dragged herself back over to the bed. She fell onto it, laying on her side, eyes wide open. She didn't notice the wetness that soon covered her pillow. She was annoying, impossible to be around, and nothing but a problem? She pursed her lips and sniffled. She had thought he felt the same way about her as she did about him. Obviously, she had been very wrong. She struggled to fall back asleep, not wanting to be awake whenever Bakura came back to bed.

Meanwhile, in the main room, Malik eyed Bakura speculatively. "...But?"

Bakura sighed. "_But,_ I don't know what I would do without her. I think about her all the time."

Malik supressed a sleepy yawn and patted his cousin's uninjured shoulder. "It sounds to me like you've answered your own questions. You care about her. Why don't you just talk to her?"

"Oh, yes," he said sarcastically. "Listen, Anzu, I know you're trying to kill me, but I was just wondering if you'd want to forget about all that and stick around for a while. Hey, you may be losing a lot of money, but at least you've got me!"

Malik rolled his eyes. "I don't believe she's tried to kill you in a while. Just tell her how you feel," he said as he rose from the couch; therapy was not his area of expertise. He squeezed his cousin's shoulder reassuringly before leaving to seek out his own quarters and the warm bed within it.

Feeling slightly more confident, Bakura made his way back to his bed and the sleeping brunette in it. He considered awakening her that moment before his confidence failed him, but decided he could wait until the morning to tell her how he felt. He rested an arm over her waist and fell asleep.

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Bakura stirred in his sleep at the feeling of a weight on top of him. Early morning sunlight met his eyes as he cracked them open. He jerked forward as his vision focused on the gun resting a mere inch away from his forehead. "Fuck," he cursed. His gaze darted up to the holder of the gun. "Anzu?!" he exclaimed in disbelief. She was straddling his hips with the gun aimed at him. She reminded him of the first night he met her. Only, then, she was much more confident; now, her hands shook slightly around the gun.

"What are you doing?" he asked in shock. She didn't answer him. "I thought we were past this! ...You'll kill yourself, too, you know," he added. She ignored the last remark.

"Past it?" she shot back vehemently. "You certainly don't act like you're _past it!_ You don't even--" she cut herself off with a gasp. She leapt off of him suddenly and made a dash for the bathroom. He heard her emptying her stomach into the toilet, and he braced himself for the attack that was sure to come. However, he was surprised when it didn't. _The curse! _he thought. _It's gone!_ What a bummer. His honor would now demand that he leave Ascenia in tact. What a pity. Blowing the puny planet to smithereens would do wonders for his current foul mood. He had never, personally, destroyed an entire planet, but if his father could do it, he was sure he could. He ignored the fact that he resembled a whiny child. It was Anzu's fault anyhow. How dare she? How could she?

Anzu drudged back into the bedroom. She was no longer aiming the laser gun at him, but it was still resting tightly in her palm. He didn't care to ask her where she got it from. She was trying to kill him again, and that was all that mattered. Tell her how he felt? Malik had to be kidding. Anzu didn't feel anything for him, that much was obvious. He wouldn't put himself or her through anymore torture. He laughed, a hollow sound.

"I should have done this a long time ago. Let's go," he told her, not looking back to see if she was behind him. Anzu squeezed the gun in her hand. What was she doing? Was she really going to shoot him? She shook her head wildly. He didn't care about her; she may as well shoot him, get the money, and be done with it. She knew she couldn't though. Wordlessly, she followed him out of the room, still in her nightgown and he still in merely a pair of loose black pants. Chisara followed her mistress out of the room, as well.

Anzu was mildly surprised when Bakura led her to the ship holding area. Malik was already up and about at that early morning hour and watched them curiously as they entered the the holding area.

As they passed, Anzu whispered, "I'm so sorry." She did not look up, but Malik knew she was talking to him.

Bakura didn't stop in the main room, but rather led her back to the closed area she had noticed on her first visit when they had left for Ascenia. Anzu's eyes widened considerably. There was only one ship in the whole room, and it was hers, the Fatal Rose; it was still in perfect condition, just the way she had left it at the docking port.

"How?" she murmured.

"You're free," he bit out. "Leave."

Anzu flinched at his harsh tone. He didn't want her anymore. It figured. She couldn't even blame him. It wasn't like he had led her on or anything. He had made noclaim of any interest in her besides sex. She felt tears gathering in her eyes, and she would be damned before she let him see her cry anymore. She ran for her ship, her loyal cat trailing her.

She didn't look back.

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Ooooh, dear. Anzu's hurt, Bakura's hurt, everyone's hurt. That always leads to misunderstandings, isn't that true? What a pity. Well, stay tuned!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Target: You

Chapter Seventeen

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A/N: Oh, wow, I really thought some people were going to kill me after the end of the last chapter. ; I'm sorry! Cringe At least I updated fast after such a mean cliffhanger.

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He stared blandly out the ship's office window, his black-booted feet propped up on the desk. His ivory hair was just as long and wild as ever, and he did nothing to brush it away from his face. His ebony cape draped off of one shoulder haphazardly. The black abyss he gazed out at soothed his soul, as usual. His cousin came to his side, clipboard in hand.

"Bakura, we need to direct our route to Earth now," Malik suggested somewhat hesitantly. Bakura shook his head.

"No, do one of the others," he replied without removing his eyes from the large window. Malik stepped in his line of vision.

"There are no others; we've visited and checked inventory at each one. Earth is the only one left."

Bakura looked up at his cousin then, slightly surprised. "Really." It wasn't a question. "Fine then. Earth, it is."

Malik hesitated before sitting down in the chair next to him. He gazed out at the space zooming past them for a moment before glancing askance at his quiet cousin. "Bakura, there are three billion people on the planet. That's a three-billion-to-one odd that you would even hear about her, let alone see her. Besides, just because she's from there doesn't mean she lives there."

"I know," Bakura snapped. He was always snappy when she was mentioned. Malik wisely changed the subject.

"Listen to this. These people are nuts. According to my research--"

Bakura cut him off. "_You_ researched something?" he drawled.

Malik straightened his back defensively. "Well, I can't let you be the only genius in the family!"

Bakura snorted in amusement and motioned for Malik to continue. The blond flipped a page on his clipboard in annoyance. "_As I was saying,_ those Earthlings are a bunch of greedy psychos. They've had a total of _four_ world wars, not to mention an indeterminable amount of civil and inter-country wars. They've had more wars with themselves than they have with other planets! In the fourth world war about four hundred years ago, some general went from country to country overthrowing what they called 'presidents' until he eventually ruled the world and named himself king; that war wiped out over half their race. Can you believe that? They can't even get along with _each other_, yet they expect to get along with other planets through alliances." Malik shook his head disgustedly.

Bakura chuckled. "Well, they better get along with us or _we'll_ overthrow _them._"

Malik hmph'd, still eying Earth's statistics in distaste. An ivory-haired young boy entered the office, bowing low.

"My king," he started. Bakura waved him off with a sigh.

"Yes, yes, I know what you're going to ask. Coordinate route to Earth," he said. The boy nodded and bowed again before leaving.

Malik chuckled after he left. "'My king.' That takes some getting used to."

Bakura stared at him from the corner of his eye. His lips pursed into a frown. "I've been thirty for nearly three months; get used to it."

Malik nodded with a grin. "All right, my _king._ Should I send Careen in? She could cheer you up."

"God, no!" Bakura exclaimed at the innocent suggestion. He shook his head feverishly. "I cannot put up with her insolence right now. She's good for one thing, and one thing only. I do _not_ want to listen to her _talk,_" he ended with a shudder. Malik shrugged carelessly, still grinning.

After the too-cheerful-for-Bakura's-patience Malik left the office, Bakura leaned further back into his chair, shutting his eyes. He knew very well that he wouldn't see her on Earth. Hell, it had been four years since she'd left, and he hadn't even heard hide or hair of the infamous bounty hunter; it was as if she had dropped off the face of the universe. It wasn't about seeing her or hearing about her. It was about not wanting to be reminded of her. Being on her home planet would remind him of her.

It had been so hard the first few months--wanting to go after her, but not being able to for fear of having his pride slashed into pieces. If she wanted to leave, then so be it. He wasn't going to chase her from planet to planet. After the first six months, however, he had had enough on his mind to keep him occupied. He had turned himself into the IGP for his crimes and paid off his sizeable bail. He had been on parole for two years, and every contract he signed had to be thoroughly inspected by the IGP for any misdeeds. Eventually, his two years had passed and his parole was renounced. A restriction would remain on his trading license for the rest of his life, but he could deal with having every contract inspected.

Shortly after Anzu left Bakura had all of his militants undergo a serious bout of training for the next few years; however, they were still required to keep up their training to this day. Anzu and the other bounty hunters had proven that in times of peace, the Bakurians had grown soft and weak. Bakura was determined to return them to their former status as a powerful and feared race. Of course, he had no intention of being hypocritical. He had undergone intensive training himself; if someone ever tried to kill him again, he would be able to fend for himself easily.

He had not only trained himself in bullet guns, laser guns and swords, but also physically. If a weapon was not immediately at hand, he needed to be able to rely on his own strength. Still yet, he kept a dagger in his boot and a laser gun resting on his hip at all times.

In support of his cousin, Malik had also trained himself in the way of swords and daggers. He was much better than Bakura with a dagger, the older of the two had to admit. Malik could hit a target dead-on a fourth of a mile away with his eyes closed. Bakura reflected with a smirk that his younger cousin just liked to show off.

After his parole had ended, he began his search of the perfect planet to buy. He couldn't afford an A- or B-sized planet after paying his bail, so he settled for looking in the C listings. That was all right, anyhow. An A- or B-sized planet would be much too large. With a C-sized planet, the Bakurians had room to quintuple their population and still have adequate living space.

The planet he had chosen--and, in tradition, named Bakura--maintained a steady, warm climate year-round. The planet had two nearby stars, albeit small ones, so daylight lasted twenty hours instead of the eight his people were accustomed to. The planet's agricultural decor was a welcome change from Yamisha's drab greys. The violet sky set off the lemon-hued grass nicely, and the planet had a variety of land formations such as mountains and hills instead of the unwelcoming flat plains on Yamisha.

Although the Bakurians had only lived on the new Bakura for barely a year, they had already brought up their population from 60,000 to 100,000, so happy were they. Bakura figured the population would probably grow to around 500,000 and stay steady. That was a perfect number in his opinion. Not too small, like the puny Ascenia with its 5,000, and not too large, like the overpopulated Larnaik with its 17 million people.

After settling down on the new planet, he had set to work at forming new trading alliances and following up on his current contracts. He had visited all sixty-eight planets except one: Earth. He had not wanted to visit Earth at all, but as it was a newly-formed alliance, it needed to be observed carefully.

Tevineliv had been furious that the new Bakura had allied itself with Earth instead of them, but they had backed off of Earth at long last; they had stood a chance against Earth as it was, but not now that it was allied with the Bakurians. Docile though the Bakurians may be in domestic settings, they were still trained militants. Combined with Earth's technological strengths, the two made a formidable foe against Tevineliv whose only strength was their population--double that of Earth's.

To add to Bakura's woes, he now had the political pressure of marrying and producing an heir. His people had never cared before; however, now that they had a planet of their own to live out their lives on, they wanted a ruler with a proper crown prince. Bakura scowled. He honestly did not understand why he had to marry to produce an heir. He was a bastard and he was still king. What was the big deal? He would much rather choose a random female and have her give birth to his heir and _not_ have to marry her. He was sure he would convince his people sooner or later to go with his plan. He had no intention of marrying anyone.

Bakura sighed as his thoughts drifted back to the current matter at hand. He would arrive on Earth in a few weeks. He supposed all he had to do was go over inventory, play a little I'm-so-glad-to-see-you with the natives, and get the hell out of there. He had no intention of staying more than a few days. It would not be so bad.

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"It's so lovely out here," Anzu sighed dreamily as she gazed out at the crystalline pond water where two swans floated by. The sun warmed her from head to toe, and she reclined peacefully on the soft grass.

"Indeed, it is," the man next to her said. His magenta orbs focused on her briefly with a smile before looking out at the water again.

"I could stay here forever," she commented.

The man scoffed. "Beauty never lasts."

Confused by his sudden change in opinion, she glanced up at him. Her eyes widened in shock when they landed on the narrowed pair of velvetty brown eyes. "You!" she cried in alarm.

"Me!" he mocked with a cruel smile.

Anzu nearly fell off the bed. Awakening, she sat up and rubbed her forehead. She glanced over at her clock. She still had a while to sleep. Shaking her head at her own inability to tell a dream from reality, she slumped back down under the covers, pulling them up to her chin. Pushing aside the startling dream, she struggled to fall back asleep.

Many hours later, Anzu was awakened again by a tapping sound on her bedroom door. Her eyes fluttered open in time to see her best friend sail into the room and throw open the curtains. The woman turned and regarded her with a raised brow.

"My dear, whatever has taken you? It's nearly ten o'clock. We were concerned at breakfast," she informed the sleepy brunette still in bed.

Anzu grumbled something unintelligible before throwing the covers off of herself and standing up. Her nightshirt was twisted around her body and the left part of her hair stood on end, evidence of her tossing and turning during the night. "I didn't get much sleep, Mai."

The blonde tucked a curly lock behind her ear and nodded silently. She knew her best friend was prone to nightmares though the contents of the terrifying dreams were almost never revealed. Anzu's nightmares had been especially bad when she had first arrived back on Earth after being gone for the better part of eight years; her father wouldn't dream of leaving her alone during his missions after her mother died. Mai had comforted her like a mother would a lonely child when she had learned of Anzu's father also dying. Mai had been there for Anzu during her hardest times in the past four years even if there were many mysteries in Anzu's life that she did not feel comfortable speaking about.

Anzu had been a mass of heavy emotions when she had landed on Earth that day four years ago. Her arrival had been unexpected and uninformed ahead of time. She had stumbled into the palace in a disarray, falling into the arms of the first servant she had passed. The poor boy had not known what to do, so had brought the exhausted girl and black leopard to his lady: Mai. The twenty-year-old lady had not recognized the girl, but happened to be entertaining the prince for dinner. He had recognized her immediately. Mai offered to keep watch over the sleeping girl while her old rooms were prepared for her; she had not slept in them in many months, and even then, she usually only remained on Earth for a day or two at a time. She had never told anyone what had happened to her or where she had gone after her father died, but nobody asked for fear of invading her personal space which she valued so much.

Anzu had seemed so young in her fragile innocence, but Mai knew the twenty-two-year-old was very strong in both strength and will.

"Did you make excuses for me at breakfast?" Anzu asked guiltily. Mai smiled knowingly.

"You currently have a bit of a cold, dear, so do try to sneeze a few times when you see someone," the vivacious blonde replied with a grin. Anzu smiled tiredly. "But," Mai continued, "I know the perfect remedy for your 'cold'--having tea with me. So, come on then!"

Anzu stretched and yawned before following the slightly older woman out of the room. A tray with steaming raspberry tea and two teacups was already resting on the coffee table in front of the couch in the family room. Anzu flopped down ungracefully, tossing her waist-length chocolate curls behind her shoulder.

"Where's Chisara at this morning?"

Anzu shrugged, looking around. "She's probably zonked out in the other bedroom. She sleeps in these days," she added with a smile.

The two sipped their tea in companionable silence. After both had finished, Mai set her teacup down and shifted on the couch to face Anzu. "Now," she began with a wide smile, "on today's agenda is the florist! If we have time, we should also stop by that adorable little bakery on Fifth Avenue."

Anzu set down her own teacup. "Shouldn't we wait until he's not busy?"

Mai waved a hand. "Nonsense! He told me at breakfast to go with you since he can't. There's not much time left, you know."

Anzu smiled. Her friend's bubbly attitude perked up her spirits and hastened to rid her of any remaining exhaustion. Today would be a fun day.

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Again, I'm SORRY that you all hated me after the last chapter. ; At least I didn't kill them, geez!


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Target: You

Chapter Eighteen

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Winter Peacecraft-Yuy: I really appreciate your super mega-long review! -Gets boost of confidence- Thanks so much!

Mika: There are 68 planets in the Bakurians' trading alliance. That would be a small universe, lol. (By the way, do you have AIM?)

A/N: Everybody has questions about all of the little hints I've left. Well, you will all just have to wait and see. XP Lastly, for the record (although it's a bit late now), Chisara's name is pronounced 'Chee-SAH-ruh,' not 'CHEE-sah-ruh.'

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"I like this planet," Malik declared with a wide grin. He watched the ladies at the port below pass by. Bakura did not need to ask why his cousin liked Earth.

Each lady's top was designed the same way; a strap looped around the neck to hold it in place, and the strap extended down in an upside-down 'Y' shape to cover the bare minimum of the breasts to join the 'Y' back together at the pelvis bone. In fact, the tops left very little to the imagination. Although each lady wore the same style of revealing top, only in different colors, the legs were covered in a variety of ways such as pants and skirts, both long and short.

"You only like it because no matter which way you look, there is a slutty woman to behold," Bakura replied sarcastically. Malik shrugged.

"Well, I think Pah has been our best stop so far since they don't wear any clothes at all, but this certainly isn't a bad second!" He gleefully looked out through the window again.

Incredulously, Bakura reminded him, "They had blue skin." The blond shrugged again with a wolfish grin. He momentarily eyed two scantily clad ladies boarding an airtrain.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "And Japiy's queen... do you remember that dress?"

Bakura couldn't help but grin. "Yeah," he replied and paused. "And do you remember that _other_ dress?"

Malik laughed. "Yeah."

"_I _think they dress hideously," Careen sneered as she stepped up between Bakura and Malik and looked out the large window. A vein twitched in both men's foreheads. They had heard enough complaints from Careen on this trip to last them a lifetime, and Bakura would be damned before he _ever_ took her on a spaceship with him again.

"The only thing hideous I see is your hair. Did something _die _on your head?" Malik commented scathingly. The golden-haired woman gasped in offense, her blue eyes flashing angrily. She patted her up-do self-consciously while glaring at the smirking man next to her.

"Well, King Bakura likes it, don't you?" she purred, latching herself onto Bakura's arm. He peeled her off of him and stepped away.

"Whatever. Enough standing around," Bakura said and descended the ship's ramp. He approached the port's maintenance manager. "Are our rooms prepared?"

The dark-skinned and haired man looked up from his paperwork. "Ah, King Bakura. Yes, your rooms are prepared. A servant will show you the way." With that, he snapped his fingers, and a servant appeared at his side.

"Show King Bakura and his company to their rooms in guest corridor A-3, rooms one and two," the man said. The small servant nodded with a wide smile and skipped off, leaving the three to follow her.

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"Late again!" Anzu exclaimed in shame as she glanced up at the clock. Mai looked up at it, too, and tsked.

"We should call it a day anyhow. You'd better get going or you'll get your butt kicked!"

Anzu nodded with a smile. "She can get rough with me, but I love it." She glanced around the room and mumbled to herself, "Now, where'd Chisara run off to?"

Mai stifled a giggle and pointed. "By the door. See, even she knows what time it is."

Anzu sighed in guilt. "I'm going, I'm going! I'll see you later."

"Mhm," Mai replied with a smile as she watched her best friend and cat run out of the room.

"Too much going on right now," Anzu mumbled to herself. She ran through the palace, her stillettos clicking against the polished marble floors. She was suddenly glad she had worn her cream slack pants instead of a skirt. She rounded a corner and skid a few feet.

"Hey, Anzu--"

"Sorry, Jou, I'm late!" she called over her shoulder as she continued down the corridor at a high speed. The blond scratched the back of his head as she whizzed past him. He shrugged and continued his much slower pace in the opposite direction.

Anzu rounded another corner and ran straight into a wall--or, at least, the man felt like a wall. She shook her head dizzily before standing up and brushing herself off. She looked down at the ground in embarrassment as she bowed low. "I am so sorry!" she apologized sincerely before taking off at a run again.

Bakura stared down in disdain at the woman who had run into him. Her chocolate curtain of waist-length hair shielded her face nicely, but he could tell by her tone of voice that her cheeks were tinged with rose-colored embarrassment. In some odd gesture of a bow and apology, she revealed a smooth, creamy back, but took off at a run again before he could utter a word.

"Freak natives," he muttered. Without paying it anymore mind, he continued on his way to the dining hall. Malik was already there waiting on him; he had left Careen in their rooms to retire for the evening since she had complained of a headache.

Anzu cursed as she ran down the corridor. There was one more corner coming up; she decided to slow down quite a bit. She glanced behind her as she halted for the corner. The man she had run into was about to disappear from view. His black cape covered him from shoulders to feet, but his long, ivory mane caught her interest. She looked for a moment before shaking her head. It couldn't be. She shook herself out of her stupor.

"Ahh! Late!" she cried before running around the corner, all thoughts of her collision forgotten.

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Bakura strode confidently into the brightly decorated dining hall. The twenty or so occupants at the table stood respectfully as another member of their dinner party approached the long table. Bakura took his place next to his cousin, regarding him with a short nod before sitting.

"We are delighted to have you pay us a visit, King Bakura," King Mutou greeted, extending his wrist to the man at his right.

"I am equally delighted to be here," Bakura lied smoothly, gripping the proffered wrist.

"That only leaves one of us," Mai commented, glancing towards a side door. As if on cue, a young servant girl entered and approached the dinner table. She stopped to the left of the king and curtsied.

"My prince, Lady Ryoko is feeling a bit ill. My lady sends her regrets that she will be unable to attend dinner."

The prince nodded solemnly. "Please, tell your lady I will join her after dinner," Yuugi requested. The girl curtsied again and left through the door she came. Yuugi signaled an older male servant standing nearby. "Send a physician to tend to Ryoko."

"Yes, my prince," the man responded and left to do his bidding.

"Is everything all right?" Malik felt obligated to ask. Bakura restrained the severe urge to roll his eyes. Who the hell cared? He was hungry!

Yuugi nodded. "My fiancee can handle it, I'm sure, but I've sent a physician. I'll check on her after dinner."

"I'll join you," Mai volunteered worriedly. Yuugi smiled and agreed.

"In the meantime, let's eat!" the king announced jovially.

"Thank God," Bakura grumbled under his breath. Only his cousin heard and poked him under the table.

The dinner progressed without incident. Bakura discovered he rather liked Earth's food and _almost_ enjoyed himself. The Earthling prince was strange in appearance--what with his wild hair pointing in every direction with its golden lightning-shaped streaks--and he was annoyingly good-willed towards everyone. At times, he seemed almost over-confident, but Bakura knew he could be accused of the same thing. All in all, Bakura was surprised to realize he couldn't find much else to dislike about the man only three years younger than himself.

However, the man next to Prince Yuugi angered Bakura to no end. The irritating blond hardly took his dark brown eyes off of the Bakurian king. In fact, Bakura was debating with himself whether or not to ask the man exactly what his problem was.

Jounouchi stared at Bakura warily. What was he to do? He had contacted Anzu those four long years ago, and she had told him she was never bounty hunting again and that she was returning to Earth. He had opted to accompany her since it was also his home planet and had remained there. He never asked why she stopped bounty hunting, but he had always suspected it had something to do with the dangerous ivory-haired prince. And here he was, sitting right in front of Jounouchi. Anzu had been near hysterical for the first few weeks upon her arrival at Earth, an absolute emotional wreck.

Should he tell her that Bakura was visiting and staying in the very same palace that she was? How would she handle it? Would she have another breakdown? She had too much to handle at the moment to worry about problems of her past. He would simply have to keep quiet about it. If she found out, then so be it, but if she didn't, then good. King Bakura would probably only be staying for a day or two anyhow. Jounouchi would just have to make sure Anzu skipped any formal meals and get-togethers.

Prying his eyes away from Bakura--who had begun to glare at him for his unwanted attention--Jounouchi focused his attentions on gobbling up his food as quickly as possible, much to the amused disgust of Lady Mai next to him.

As the evening faded into night, the nobility began to bid their goodnights and return to their rooms. Prince Yuugi was amongst the first to leave, obviously concerned about his fiancee. Bakura gulped down the remainder of his champagne and pushed himself back from the table. He stood and looked down at Malik.

"You staying?"

Malik shook his head and finished off his own champagne. "No, I'm feeling a bit tired."

The pair said their goodbyes and left to seek rest in their rooms.

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The following morning, Anzu sat in the ladies' sunroom with Mai as the duo discussed little bits of nothing such as fashion, entertainment, and life in general. The mid-morning sunlight filtered into the room through the east wall which was made entirely of glass. It overlooked the palace gardens, and a few couples could be seen wandering hand-in-hand through the vividly colored flowers, trees, and brushes.

"She wasn't happy about missing it," Anzu commented, pulling her shawl tighter around her bare shoulders. Mai "aww"d and nodded, sipping her tea.

"Well, she's stubborn, that's for sure," the blonde replied, setting her cup aside.

Both ladies looked up as another woman with pale coloring entered the sunroom. With her nose held high in the air, she strode over to an empty chair and stiffly sat down in it, glaring out at the gardens. Mai and Anzu both looked at each other pointedly, sharing a hidden smile at the rigid woman who had intruded on their conversation. Neither woman cared about being interrupted without so much as an introduction from the newcomer; they went back to their conversation.

"Speaking of stubborn, Chisara is getting lazier by the day. She sleeps in my bed now and refuses to move over. The women in my life are simply impossible!" Anzu exclaimed with a giggle.

"She's getting to be an old woman," Mai pointed out with a laugh of her own. Anzu scoffed.

"She's not even five yet!"

"Don't I know you?" the woman in the seat across from the pair asked suspiciously. Mai and Anzu stopped mid-laugh and looked over expectantly.

"I'm sorry; are you speaking to me?" Anzu asked, glancing at Mai. Her companion only raised her eyebrows in an 'I-don't-know' manner.

"Yes," the woman drawled snobbily. Her bright blue eyes distastefully traveled down Anzu's apparel of a white upside-down Y-style top and ankle-length black skirt. Anzu noticed this and narrowed her eyes defensively.

"I do not recognize you, but perhaps if I knew your name, I may know if we've met before," Anzu replied, choosing to calmly ignore the rudeness the stranger bestowed upon her.

"My name is Lady Careen," the woman said regally. "I've only just arrived, but you look very familiar for some reason."

Anzu's stomach dropped into the pit of her stomach. "Careen, did you say?" The woman nodded casually. Anzu gulped and squeezed her hands together. What on Earth was Careen doing here? Who had she come with, if anyone? Surely, she wouldn't have cared to travel alone to Earth. Suddenly, Anzu remembered being told that a foreign diplomat was inspecting his inventory on Earth. She had not paid it any mind; foreign diplomats visited constantly. What if it was Bakura himself though? Did he have a contract with Earth? Oh, she didn't know! She realized, chagrined, that she should pay more attention to politics.

"Are you from Earth?" Anzu asked though it was pointless to do so. She knew very well Careen wasn't an Earthling. Even if she had not known, the woman's full-length dress stood out from any clothing Earth ladies wore.

The blonde shook her head. "No, I am from Bakura."

Hearing his name again made Anzu feel as if she had choked on her heart. She had spent years trying to forget about him. Lately, she felt as if she was finally getting somewhere with overcoming the grief of her past. Now, however, she was unwillingly plunged into a cruel reminder. She coughed into her hand, feeling bile rise up into her throat. "I-I'm sorry." With that, she bolted from her seat and ran out of the room. Mai's eyes widened.

"Honey, are you all right?" she called after her friend. "Please excuse me," she said to Careen before hurrying after Anzu.

Careen looked after them in confusion. After a moment, she shrugged uncaringly and turned her attention to the wide window once again.

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Someone commented that the last chapter seemed very quiet. That's what we authors like to call the 'calm before the storm.' XD Stay tuned!


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Target: You

Chapter Nineteen

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FFdotnet stopped sending me e-mail notifications of reviews, and for like two days, I didn't think anyone had reviewed and everyone hated the last chapter. Then I decided to check on the site, and I wailed in happiness that I did, indeed, have reviews! XD Winter Peacecraft-Yuy (guess I could say WPY for short XP), you spoil me! Heheh.

I've confused you guys so much. ...I love it. XD BUT, I will be nice and tell you one thing: it's (Yami) Yuugi, not (Hikari) Yuugi. -grin- The reason why I refer to him as Yuugi is because Yami is not his name. When he didn't know his real name, he went by 'the other Yuugi.' And this does not take place in Ancient Egypt, so Atemu just doesn't seem fitting. Therefore, I settled on Yuugi. Also, by the end of this chapter, you guys will know a LOT more of what's going on. So read on... This story only has a few more chapters to go.

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Anzu blindly ran through the corridors in the pursuit of her rooms, holding her skirt up in a careless attempt to keep from tripping. She knew Mai was following behind her, calling for her to stop, but she just wanted to be alone. It was only mid-morning, so she would have the rest of the day to ponder why she was so unlucky. If only she could get to her rooms faster!

God, she had literally ran right into him and she hadn't even realized it was him! She thanked her (un)lucky stars. She didn't know what she would have done if she had been face-to-face with him knowing who she was and vice versa. Just when she was finally able to move on with her life, he had to jump right back into it.

As soon as her keycard gave her access, she thrust herself into her rooms. A few moments later, she heard banging on her door. "Anzu Mizaki, you let me in there right this instant!" Mai demanded from outside.

"No!" Anzu wailed, covering her face with her hands. "I just want to be alone right now."

"I swear I will go get the prince if you do not open this door!" the worried lady threatened. Anzu sobbed desolately. Resigned, she stomped over to the door and threw it open. Mai stormed inside and took her by the shoulders.

"What on Earth has gotten into you?" she cried, her eyes wide in alarm. Anzu shook her head wildly in her hands.

"Why did we have to make an alliance with them? I never thought I'd have to see him again!" the small brunette sobbed desperately. Mai held her at arms length in confusion.

"What? Who? Anzu," she said firmly, "sit down and start at the beginning."

Anzu allowed herself to be pushed down onto the couch, and Mai covered her shivering body with a blanket. After preparing a pot of tea and giving Anzu time to calm down, the older lady took her place next to the woman who was like a sister to her.

"Now, tell me what is wrong," she cooed softly. Anzu gripped her teacup tightly, but did not raise it to her quivering lips.

"When I was eighteen, I was involved with someone," Anzu started. Mai nodded for her to continue. "I loved him, but he only cared about... the more primitive aspects of a relationship. After he made his feelings quite clear to me, I left and came back here."

Mai held up a hand for her to pause. "Who is 'he?'"

Anzu drew in a shaky breath. "Bakura."

"The king?" Mai gasped. Anzu nodded, her eyes downcast.

"He was just a prince at the time, but anyway. He didn't exactly make an honest living, and I picked him out as one of my bounties," Anzu revealed. Jounouchi and Mai were the only people on Earth who knew about her previous career as a bounty hunter. Everyone else, even those very close to her, only knew that she had traveled quite a bit to various planets in various galaxies. She did not have the courage to reveal that she had killed people for a living.

In her younger years, she was quick to jump the gun about any 'bad' person killing someone, yet it was ironic that she also killed people. Maybe she was doing the universe a favor by ridding it of the foul creatures who were her bounties, but it never changed the fact that she had ended lives of living beings. She never understood that truth until after she had stopped bounty hunting, and she had never gotten over the guilt.

"I know it's painful for you, but you can't let him get in the way of your life. You've moved on," Mai reminded the woman who, at the moment, resembled an innocent child.

"I can't go out in public until he's left," Anzu told her with wide eyes full of unshed tears.

"Anzu, he hurt you deeply in the past, but you don't need him. You can live your life without any regard to him. You don't need to tell him anything. Who cares about that bastard?" Mai exclaimed. Anzu looked up in surprise at the first curse word she had ever heard her best friend speak. The woman continued, "You are rich and powerful; you can do anything you want."

As if sensing her mistress's distress, Chisara came bounding out of a bedroom and into the family room. She snorted and mrowed at her owner's feet. Anzu petted her loving cat silently.

"Anzu," Mai placed her hand over her friend's, "you can show him that you are strong. You can prove that you can stand on your own two feet!"

Anzu shook her head. "I can't do it. I can't see him."

Mai hugged Anzu to her. "Yes, you can. I know you can do it." She glanced over at a clock on the wall. "It's time for lunch. I'll be right there with you."

"No!" Anzu yelled in surprise. She cleared her throat and shook her head. "I just can't."

"You will never prove that you don't need him if you don't try."

Anzu regarded Mai for a moment. She debated within herself. She wanted so badly to show Bakura that she didn't need him... that she could stand on her own two feet! She was so frightened though. What if she froze in front of him? What if he just sneered at her, not at all daunted by her presence? Anzu sighed; she had to prove it, if not to him, then to herself.

"Okay, I'll try," she finally conceded. Mai smiled with pride.

"I know you can do it. Show him who's boss!"

Anzu allowed Mai to pull her to her feet. The blonde brushed out the younger woman's long locks since she was too busy twisted her yellow skirt in her hands to do anything else. Finally, they were ready to go. This was it.

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Bakura sat impatiently in the dining hall. The prince's damn fiancee was late again. If she wasn't able to attend, she could at least send word i before /i lunch started! Beside Careen, Malik was looking around in interest, seeminly much more patient than his cousin. Between him and Bakura, Careen's feet played with the Bakurian king's under the table which worked well to lower his patience even more.

Careen yelped when Bakura stepped on her foot. She pouted and pulled her feet back under her own chair. He smirked to himself and took a sip from his champagne glass.

Mindless chatter and gossip ceased when the main doors were thrown open by two guards. The blonde woman Bakura recognized from dinner the previous night sauntered confidently into the room with another lady on her arm. As the pair neared, Prince Yuugi pushed away from the table and rose to meet them halfway to the table.

"Who's that?" Malik wondered aloud. Bakura's stomach was starting to churn. The woman with the waist-length, wavy, brown hair and wide, blue eyes looked hauntingly familiar.

The two women and the prince stopped in front of the table. Malik choked on his champagne; Bakura dropped his glass. The sound of the glass shattering resounded through the room, and everyone turned to stare at him.

"Ah," Yuugi began awkwardly, looking at Bakura. "May I present my fiancee, Lady Anzu," he said to the three Bakurians.

With a heavy thud in his chest, Bakura slunk lower into his chair, his eyes wide. He looked sharply at his cousin. "Three billion to one, huh?" Malik could only look on helplessly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, King Bakura," Anzu said smoothly, her eyes sparkling with apprehension as she dipped into a curtsy. She struggled to keep any emotion from her voice. Mai held her hand tightly to keep it from shaking.

"The pleasure is mine," Bakura replied automatically, his eyes boring into hers. Careen gasped as she realized who the woman was. Bakura stepped on her foot again to keep her from blurting out something which may create an awkward moment between Bakura, Anzu, and Prince Yuugi who was looking on curiously at the odd exchange between his fiancee and the foreign king.

Anzu's heart pounded painfully in her chest. She was sure she would be subject to a heart attack at any given moment. Mai gripped her hand tighter in a gesture of comfort. Indeed, if Mai and Yuugi weren't holding on to her, she was sure she would have fled. Bakura stared unblinkingly at her, all emotions erased from his face. Was he surprised? Did he hate her? Damn him, why wouldn't he look away?

Yuugi cleared his throat to break the awkward silence. "How is Ryoko?" he asked his fiancee. Anzu tore her gaze away from Bakura and focused on Yuugi as he led her to a seat next to him.

"She is much better. Thank you for sending a physician," Anzu replied gratefully. She sat down, leaning forward as Yuugi scooted her chair to the table. Yuugi sat down in his own chair and took her hand.

"It was no problem," he said. Bakura's eyes sparkled furiously as he eyed the affectionate scene. Yuugi could feel the glare from his fellow diplomat and consciously or unconsciously--he wasn't sure which--tightened his hold on Anzu's hand.

Anzu was proud of herself for being able to maintain her gaze on anything but her former lover throughout the course of the meal. However, as the meal wore out and after-lunch discussions began, she caught herself staring at the ivory-haired king far too often for her liking. Careen glared at her with open hostility, and Anzu had the feeling the blonde bombshell knew exactly who she was. A trickle of fear slipped down her spine at the thought of the spiteful woman revealing everything to Yuugi.

After a few minutes, Bakura's unwavering stare got the best of the future princess of Earth. She murmured an excuse about needing to check on Ryoko and left the dining hall.

Bakura waited scarcely five minutes before also leaving the dining hall. In order to cease any arousing suspicions, Malik followed his cousin out with Careen hot on their heels. Malik stopped Bakura a few feet outside the doors. "You're not doing what I think you are... are you?"

"A little talk won't hurt anyone," Bakura replied vaguely. His tone was calm, but his piercing eyes and tight frown didn't do well to hide his anger. Malik sighed; there would be no arguing with him.

"King Bakura--" Careen started heatedly.

"Careen, not one word," Bakura snapped. "And if you say a i word /i about Anzu to i anyone /i , I'll banish you from Bakura."

The blonde gasped at his cruelty, but nodded to show she understood. Giving her one last warning look, Bakura strode off in the direction Anzu had gone.

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Anzu slumped against her door the second she had it safely closed. She expelled a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. The lunch was probably the hardest thing she had done in four years. She jumped, startled, as the doorbell rang to signal someone wanted to see her. Figuring it was Mai, she opened the door. She gasped and slammed the door shut again.

"Anzu, I want to talk to you," Bakura requested coolly from the corridor. Anzu bit her lip, debating whether to send him away or not. Finally, she opened the door again and looked out at him.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed quietly.

"After four years, that's the greeting I get, along with a 'nice to fucking meet you'?" he ground out angrily. She smiled sweetly.

"You're right. I should have slapped you silly."

Bakura glared at her, but didn't have a catty reply readily at hand.

"Mommy, who's at the door?" a little girl asked as she walked up beside Anzu and looked out at Bakura in wonder. Anzu sucked in a breath. She looked down at the girl.

"Please go back in your bedroom, Ryoko. I'll be there in a moment," she said and ushered the girl off. Slowly, she turned back to Bakura. He was staring intently at the brown haired and eyed toddler as she waddled back into the bedroom.

"Bakura..." she trailed off hesitantly. He abruptly turned around and walked away.

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I know the chapters are shorter than usual, but I didn't want to go on after that last scene. I thought it was a nice place to stop (though I'm sure none of you will agree XD). Next chapter, expect things to get quite heated, and in more ways than one. Ooo...


	20. Chapter Twenty

Target: You

Chapter Twenty

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I'm so happy I almost killed most of you with the last chapter's cliffhanger. XD Don't know if there will be a cliffhanger in this chapter or not... Guess we'll see when I get down there. XP I'm back in school now, so chapter updates will be back to every one to two weeks. I've made this chapter longer than usual though. By the way, I don't think anyone caught my Ryoko naming pun. RYOko... RYOUko... heh heh, well, I thought it was clever at least. XD

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"Shit!" Anzu cursed, watching Bakura stomp away, his hands balled into fists at his side. He was getting away! Damn it all, she had to talk to him. With perfect timing, Jounouchi chose that minute to walk up to her door. "Oh, Jounouchi, thank goodness! Please stay with Ryoko."

With that, she grabbed her shawl and exited her rooms. "Anzu, I have to tell you something important--" Jounouchi implored.

She ran past him down the corridor, calling out, "I'll be back soon!" Jounouchi frowned and watched her go. Oh, well. He figured he could tell her about Bakura later. He had made up his mind that she deserved to know that her old fling was back in her life. He had skipped breakfast and lunch, thinking hard before he came to that decision.

"Uncle Jou! Uncle Jou!" a little girl screamed, running up and jumping on the man's back. She tugged on his dirty-blond locks ruthlessly.

"Oh, no, it's Ryoko the Terror!" he cried dramatically. He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Shouldn't you be in bed, young lady?"

She shook her head fiercely. "Nuh uh. I feel much better!" She sneezed after her exclamation. Jounouchi chuckled.

"I can see that."

"And now I'm gonna kick your butt!" she declared before wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging him backward.

"Your momma would kick _your_ butt if she heard you talking that way," he scolded lightly. She stuck her tongue out at him and continued her tugging.

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Bakura stormed down the corridor, barely able to contain his fury. He couldn't see where he was going; the sparks in his eyes were blinding him. To think, he had gone to her rooms with good intentions. Yet, there she was, practicing her... her prostitution to beget a child! He shook his head. No, it wasn't prostitution. It was witchery. Just like she had bewitched him so many years ago. He was so foolish to think they could rekindle at least a friendship.

"Bakura!" Anzu yelled, running down the corridor after him. He didn't turn around.

"Bakura!" she cried louder, running up and blocking his path. Her sapphire eyes were wide with unshed tears, her long hair disheveled. He calmly stepped around her and finished the few extra feet to his door. "Please stop!" she screamed.

He could hold his tongue no longer. He whirled around to face her, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You slutty bitch," he accused, stabbing a finger into her chest. She gasped and slapped his hand away.

"How dare you?" she hissed. He scoffed.

"You're engaged to that flaming idiot _and_ you have a child! You didn't waste any fucking time after you left, did you?" he snapped, turning towards his door and fumbling in his pockets for his keycard. Anzu's eyes widened in surprise.

"He's not an idiot! And so what if I decided to move on with my life after a _bad _experience?" Anzu spat, planting her hands on her hips. Bakura startled her when he burst into laughter.

"God, you piss me off," he told her between laughs. He slid his keycard into the door and stepped inside when the door slid open with a "whoosh." Anzu marched in after him. He looked behind him in surprise. "What are you still doing here?"

"I came here to apologize for being so coldly formal to you at lunch, and this is how I'm treated!" She threw her hands up in dismay.

"Apology not accepted," he bit out and stomped over to his bedroom. He threw open the door, feeling satisfied when it smashed into the wall, creating a small crack. He flung himself onto his bed and pulled off his shoes. He looked up when he realized Anzu was still standing in the doorway, glaring at him. "Is there a reason you're in my _bedroom_?"

She face-faulted and glanced around uneasily. "No. Goodbye," she said curtly and about-faced, prepared to leave.

Bakura gracefully pushed himself off the bed and sauntered over to her with a sly smirk spread across his features. "I think there _is _a reason," he whispered into her ear from behind, trailing a finger from her shoulder to her wrist. She gasped and swung her head around.

"I'm engaged!"

Her declaration sent a pang of rememberance through him, but he ignored it. He circled her to stand in front. "Yes, you are," he agreed.

"So, why would I want you when I have Yuugi?" she asked sarcastically though Bakura detected hesitancy in her tone. She stepped back a bit.

"I don't know; you tell me. After all, we both know what a manly hunk porcupine boy is," he replied casually. Anzu glared at him, not appreciating his joke. Bakura closed the space between them. With his hands on her shoulders, he slowly lowered his lips to hers, gently caressing the pink buds with his tongue. Her eyes were wide with shock, but she did not pull away.

"Does the prince make you feel like this?" he whispered as he broke the kiss. Anzu's eyes closed, and she buried her hands in his wild mane. He trailed his lips down her jawline to descend on her throat. His tongue darted out to trace the crevices of her neck and collarbone. She gasped as he pushed aside her flimsy top and lowered his mouth to one firm breast.

"And does he make you feel like this?" His lips fell even further down across her abdomen. Bakura's hands felt up her legs to her inner thighs under her sunny yellow skirt. He slowly pulled her undergarments down to her ankles, soon followed by her skirt; she willingly stepped away from them. Tantalizingly, the king's tongue formed a wet trail to the center of her womanly flower.

"Oh, Bakura..." she moaned, tossing her head back. He smirked maliciously from above her in the manner that a fox would before snagging its prey.

He continued his sweet torture, fully aware he was seducing another man's fiancee. That was one of the best parts. He, personally, did not have anything against Yuugi; however, Bakura found that he hated the younger man now. Anzu was _his_ before she was Yuugi's! He doubted Yuugi cared for her as much as he had four years prior. If she wanted to leave her past behind and not tell anybody about what had happened, then that was fine with him. He would forget he cared about her and only focus on stealing her away from Yuugi just to get back at both of them.

Anzu squeezed Bakura's hair tightly and bit her lip in ecstasy. Half-lidded, she looked down at her former--and soon-to-be current--lover. A gleaming sparkle from her left hand caught her attention. She shifted her gaze to the over-sized diamond resting on her finger. Reality struck her like a bolt of lightning. She flung herself away from Bakura as if she had been burnt.

"What are you doing? What am _I _doing? Oh, my God!" she cried. Bakura calmly stood up and stared curiously at her. His cape formed a black pool on the floor, highly contrasting against the cream carpet. His shirt was unbuttoned down to the waistline, and his hair was tangled from her fingers' playing. Had she done that?

"You want this," he pointed out savagely. "Admit it."

"No! I'm engaged!" she wailed, moreso to convince herself than him. She ran a shaky hand through her hair as she bent down to pick up her undergarments and skirt. She threw them on haphazardly before running out of the bedroom. Bakura did not move to follow her, merely stared after her with a predatory smirk. She wanted it. Oh, yes, she did.

On the verge of tears over her own betraying actions, Anzu blindly ran out of Bakura's rooms, paying no attention to Malik and Careen as she passed them at the door. Careen swung around incredulously.

"What?!" she howled angrily, staring after the woman with her mouth agape. Malik squeezed her shoulder with his eyes narrowed.

"Bite your tongue, Careen," he commanded. The woman stamped her foot in a temper tantrum, but remained silent as she stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Malik sighed and wandered over to Careen and Bakura's shared bedroom.

The door was open, and Bakura was sitting on the edge of his bed, his shirt still unbuttoned. Malik sprawled himself lazily in the doorway with a blond brow raised. "Have you lost your mind?" he asked in a tone reserved for commenting on the weather.

Bakura shrugged and equally calm, replied, "She was mine first. The stupid prince stole her. She has a child by the bastard, too!"

Malik completely ignored the last part, apparently not surprised or simply not caring. "I doubt he abducted her and is forcing her to remain here. As a matter of fact, the way I remember it is _someone_ was a fool and made her leave Yamisha, forever to regret it. It is obvious she came here of her own free will, where she feels she is wanted." And with that food for thought, Malik left Bakura alone to consider what had been said.

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Anzu drudged back to her own rooms, head hung down to her chest. She really _was _a slut. She had almost slept with Bakura, and she was getting married in scarcely a week and a half! Yuugi's face suddenly popped into her mind with vivid clarity, and she grimaced at the onslaught of guilt. She knew she would never have the courage to tell Yuugi what she had done, but she would have to make it a point to not even look at Bakura, let alone be intimate with him. Her guilt grew as she realized she longed for his touch, but she just could not betray Yuugi.

With a heavy heart, Anzu slid her keycard into the slot. She dragged herself into the main room and looked around for her daughter and friend. She could hear Ryoko's high-pitched squeals coming from her bedroom, so she headed in that direction.

She stopped in the doorway with a small smile tugging at her lips. Ryoko had Jounouchi pinned to the ground and was punching him in the chest while Chisara tugged on his pantleg playfully. The man "oww'd" in good humor and let the toddler believe she was really strong. He looked up when he noticed she was watching them. His expression turned suddenly serious. He lifted Ryoko off himself and set her down on the bed.

"Anzu, there's something important I need to tell you about the foreign diplomat currently visiting," he started cautiously. Anzu smiled crookedly.

"It's okay, Jou. I already know who it is."

He swallowed the lump that had developed in his throat. He doubted that he hid his relief very well; he had not wanted to be the one to tell her. He rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay about this?" he inquired carefully.

"Y-Yeah, of course!" she assured him quickly. The unshed tears gathered at the corners of her eyes protested the lie, but he didn't comment on it.

"Do you need to talk about it?" he asked. Anzu shook her head and forced a smile onto her features.

"No, I'm fine. Really! Thanks so much for watching Ryoko. Would you mind escorting us to dinner tonight? I've been so busy with the wedding preparations and Ryoko's cold; I've missed you lately!" she gushed out in one breath. He raised a brow at her obvious attempt at changing the subject, but humored her with a nod and gentle smile. She was not handling it very well, but he wanted her to feel like she had control of the situation. He spun Ryoko around before setting her back down on the bed.

"See you then, loves!" he called back as he exited the room.

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Seven o'clock rolled around fast, and the rumbling of her stomach reminded Anzu that it was time for dinner. She finished tying the ribbon in Ryoko's silky chocolate locks. She pulled the light pink shawl tight about her daughter's shoulders and kissed her cheek. "Sit tight. Uncle Jou will be here in just a minute."

She hurried into the bathroom to finish applying her make-up. She paid no attention to the fact that she was extra careful with the application. Nor did she notice that it took her twice as long to pick out an evening gown than it usually did. She finally settled on a dark red gown that flowed to her toes. She wrapped a black shawl around her shoulders to keep the chill off her highly exposed chest and abdomen.

"Knock, knock," Jou said as he entered the main room, the door having been left unlocked for him.

"Be right out!" Anzu yelled back, dabbing on a bit of pink lip gloss. "There," she whispered to herself. "Eat your heart out, Bakura." She paused in horror. "I _know _I meant Yuugi. Oh, I might as well just shoot myself right now." With an angry vein throbbing in her forehead due to her slip of the mind, she stomped out into the main room. Jounouchi inched back warily. She cleared her throat and composed herself. She smiled sweetly.

"I'm ready. Ryoko, come on, honey!" The little girl came bounding out of the bedroom. Taking her by the hand, Anzu exited the room, followed by Jounouchi.

Anzu steeled herself as they entered the dining hall. The normal gathering of twenty or so noblemen and ladies were sitting down and chattering amongst themselves. Anzu sighed in relief as she saw that Bakura, Malik, and Careen were not present yet. She sat down next to Yuugi and placed Ryoko on her other side. The little girl insisted that Uncle Jou sit with her, as well, and he was only too happy to comply.

Moments later, the Bakurian trio entered the dining hall, the last three to arrive. Bakura seated himself directly in front of Anzu, much to her chagrin. "You look ravishing this evening, my lady," he said boldly.

Anzu bit her lip and gave him a look that clearly told him to shut the hell up. "Thank you, sir," she replied stiffly. Careen seethed between Bakura and Malik, but she held her tongue at the silent warning look Malik directed her way.

"Papa Yuugi, I'm all better!" Ryoko exclaimed, leaning forward to see around her mother. The prince clapped his hands and smiled widely.

"I'm so glad!" he replied, and she giggled. Bakura eyed the scene enviously, wishing for the first time that the little girl was his daughter and not that fool's.

"King Mutou, I've decided to extend my stay a few more days to further check on inventory here. I do hope we won't be overstaying our welcome," Bakura commented. The king waved him off.

"Of course not, dear boy! Now that you're staying, you can attend my grandson's and fiancee's betrothal ball in two days time," the king suggested jovially. Bakura hesitated, suddenly wanting to take back his previous statement. He did _not _want to go to a ball where the woman _he _wanted would be happily celebrating her engagement to another man.

Yuugi, also, did not want Bakura to attend; not after the way the ivory-haired king gazed at his fiancee and the brazen compliments he gave her. Nevertheless, it was his duty to agree and 'insist' that Bakura attend the ball.

"Well, then, we will attend this betrothal ball, to be sure," Bakura finally conceded. Clearing his throat to rid himself of the lump which had developed in it, he inquired, "And when is the lovely wedding?"

"A week after the ball. Will you be able to attend the wedding, as well?" Yuugi asked, trying to hide the sound of disappointment in his tone. Bakura glanced at Malik. Attend the wedding? Not a chance in hell.

"I regret that we must be on our way soon after the ball," Bakura replied, feigning sadness. Yuugi exhaled in relief. Bakura directed his attention back to Anzu with a coy smile playing on his lips. She glared at him, knowing full well what he was up to. She dabbed at her mouth with a napkin before standing.

"It is past Ryoko's bedtime, so I bid you all goodnight," Anzu said, lifting the sleepy toddler up onto her hip. Yuugi slid his chair back and began to rise.

"I'll escort you," he offered. Anzu waved a hand and shook her head.

"No, please. Finish your dinner; we'll be fine," she responded sweetly. Yuugi hesitated before nodding.

Bakura stood. "I would be honored to escort the ladies back to their rooms." Anzu's eyes widened and she glanced at Yuugi whose eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Jounouchi stood quickly. "No, King Bakura; please don't trouble yourself. I will escort them."

"I could do it," Mai offered, seeing the trap Anzu was stuck in. The king shook his head.

"We can't have three beautiful ladies wandering the corridors by themselves at this time of night." He paused. "And I don't think Lady Anzu needs four escorts."

Everyone shared a laugh as they realized almost half the table was standing. Yuugi, Jounouchi, and Mai sat back down, but Bakura remained standing.

"I assure you that I only hope I can complete the task quickly and efficiently," he said to no one in general. Anzu tightened her mouth into a line; she was not falling for his gentlemanly act for one second.

"It's settled then," King Mutou declared, only wishing to still any further dilemma about who would take Anzu and Ryoko back to their rooms. Malik eyed his cousin in a strange mixture of amusement and disapproval. Prince Yuugi was fair to fuming with anger.

Once Bakura, Anzu, and Ryoko were out of the dining hall, she turned and hissed, "What do you think you're doing, causing a scene like that?"

"I just wanted to be alone with you for a little bit," he replied quietly. Anzu's facial features softened, and she set Ryoko down on her feet. She faced forward as the trio started down the corridor on the five-minute walk to her rooms.

"Mommy, I'm tired," Ryoko protested, trying to stand still. Anzu sighed, suddenly feeling very tired herself. She was surprised when Bakura bent down and lifted the child into his arms. She slid her pudgy arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder before quickly falling asleep. Anzu smiled.

"You like children," she commented. He shrugged.

"I think I mentioned before that Bakurians dote on their children," he responded.

"She didn't take to Yuugi or Jounouchi that easily," she remarked. "Must be instinct."

"What?" he replied, baffled. Anzu stopped and stepped off to the side. She straightened her back, gathering her courage.

"I wasn't going to tell you this, but seeing you holding her like that makes me think you deserve to know. Ryoko is _your _daughter."

Bakura's heart pounded in his chest as he stood stark-still, staring at a blank spot on the wall behind Anzu. He had a child! He unconsciously tightened his hold on Ryoko, _his _daughter. Just as suddenly as he had been told this shocking news, his happiness faded into fury.

"You weren't ever going to tell me?" he demanded in a deathly quiet voice. Anzu realized her mistake when she saw the gleam in his eye.

"Bakura, you don't understand. I was young and scared. I was carrying the child of a man who didn't care about me," she said quickly, looking around to see if anyone was watching them.

"You were never going to tell me that we had a daughter together," he confirmed, his voice raising an octave. Anzu glanced at Ryoko when she stirred.

"Keep your voice down!" she hissed, suddenly growing angry with him, as well. He hadn't denied that he did not care about her. "Why should I have told you? You didn't give a rat's ass about me. Why would you care about Ryoko?"

"She's my _child, _you stupid woman!" he replied furiously. Anzu's eyes widened.

"I don't want you touching my daughter when you're that angry. Give her to me," she demanded, holding out her arms. Bakura backed away and struggled to calm himself, still maintaining his hold on Ryoko. The little girl's eyes were wide open now, observing the odd exchange between her mother and the stranger holding her.

"How do I know you're even telling the truth? It's not like she looks like me," he pointed out though deep inside, he knew his former lover was not lying. Frustration rose up swiftly in Anzu. She had not expected denial.

"She's yours! I've never been with anyone but you!" she nearly shouted, forgetting about any possibility of being overheard. "It's not like I have brown eyes!" Tears began to flow unchecked down her cheeks. Ryoko whimpered and squirmed in Bakura's arms.

"Mommy, don't cry!" she implored, holding a hand out to her mother. Bakura stepped forward to allow Anzu to take the girl into her arms. "Is this my daddy?" Ryoko asked innocently. Bakura looked intently at Anzu, waiting for her answer. The woman set the little brunette down and knelt down before her.

"Remember when I told you daddy went to Heaven?" Anzu asked. The toddler nodded in comprehension. "Well, he missed you so much that he came back!"

Ryoko looked up at Bakura in awe. "You're my daddy!" she exclaimed, jumping back into his arms. He caught her awkwardly as she latched herself onto his neck. He looked over his daughter's shoulder at her mother. Anzu was wiping her tears and looking off down the corridor.

"Yes, I am," Bakura replied, tweaking Ryoko's nose. He glared at Anzu while telling the little girl, "I only wish I hadn't gone to Heaven, so that I could have been with you all the time." Anzu did not miss his full meaning.

Ryoko chattered on about anything and everything as Bakura carried her back to their rooms, but not a word passed between the two adults.

In the shadows, a shaky hand was raked through creamy hair as the figure watched the scene in dismay.

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Ooo, a mysterious figure with creamy hair. That pretty much rules out... well, only Yuugi. HAHA. XD It could be Careen, Mai, Jounouchi, or Malik. I'm so evil. XP So anyway, now Bakura knows about Ryoko, and he's not too thrilled about Anzu keeping it from him. Hmm... Aaaaanyway, aside from all that, two really awesome people, Winter Peacecraft-Yuy and Michelle were so kind to draw four pictures of Bakurian royalty in the future. Please check them out at the URLs below; they're really good! (FFdotnet won't let me do it correctly, so please piece the URLs back together.)

Teenager Princess Ryoko -- wwwDOTan-eternityDOTcom/RyokoArt1.jpg

Queen Anzu and Teenager Princess Ryoko -- wwwDOTan-eternityDOTcom/RyokoAnzuArt2.jpg

Queen Anzu -- wwwDOTan-eternityDOTcom/AnzuArt3.jpg

Bored as hell King BakuraXD -- wwwDOTan-eternityDOTcom/BakuraArt4.jpg


	21. Chapter Twentyone

Target: You

Chapter Twenty-one

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A/N: This is completely off the wall, but I just realized something. Chisara is awfully similar to Kisara... and I _hate _Kisara... AHH! O.O;

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Anzu's cerulean eyes fluttered open on the morning of her betrothal ball. She had not felt so exhaustedly depressed in four years when she had found out she was carrying Bakura's child. She moaned, rolling over onto her side to attempt more sleep. She started when she turned and came face-to-face with her daughter who was sitting cross-legged on the bed.

"Ryoko, why are you in my bed instead of yours?" she inquired sleepily. The little girl shrugged, the motion causing her shoulder-length curls to bob.

"I want to go see daddy," Ryoko whined.

Anzu was stunned into silence for a moment; however, she eventually shook her head with a short "No."

Ryoko's bottom lip puckered out, and Anzu cringed, knowing what would come next. "I want to go see daddy now!" she shrieked, pounding her fists on her mother's pillow. Anzu sat up in bed and stilled her daughter's incessant pounding.

"Ryoko, that will do," she snapped. Anzu had feigned illness the day before, not wanting to see Bakura after what had happened the night before. Only herself and Bakura had known the true cause for her absence the entire day; she had refused any visitors. Nevertheless, she could not say she was ill on the day of her own betrothal ball.

Ryoko had not seen her newly-found father since a few nights prior when she had first learned who he was, and she was adamant about going to him. She started to cry, and Anzu groaned.

"Stop that," Anzu moaned, laying back and throwing a pillow over her face. Her daughter only cried louder. She was nearly four years old; Anzu hoped she grew out of the temper tantrum stage soon.

"Ryoko, if you do not stop immediately, not only will you not see your father again, but you will also be grounded!" Anzu threatened, finally growing tired of the wailing. The taunt worked, for the little girl ceased her crying immediately.

"Please," she begged her mother, pulling the pillow off of her mother's face. Anzu sighed.

"Oh, fine."

Ryoko squealed at the aspect of her mother finally giving in. "Let's go, mommy! Let's go now!"

Anzu gasped when her daughter, with some unknown strength, pulled her off the bed. "Hold on! I look awful, I'm sure!" Self-consciously, she smoothed down her bedhead with her hands and dabbed underneath her eyes for any leftover mascara.

"You look pretty, mommy," Ryoko assured her. Anzu smiled at the innocence of the little girl.

"Well, may I at least put proper clothing on?" Anzu asked sarcastically, gesturing at her see-through nightgown. Ryoko's brows furrowed together thoughtfully.

"I guess," she said. "But I bet daddy would like that dress!"

Anzu's eyes widened. "What? Where did you learn that, young lady?"

Ryoko giggled. "Uncle Jou."

Anzu's eyes narrowed disapprovingly. "Uncle Jou is going to be in big trouble for teaching you that sort of thing!" she muttered, but the little girl had already run out of the room, screaming for Chisara as she did.

Anzu sighed and walked over to her closet. Hopefully, Bakura wouldn't make a big scene about her being there in front of Ryoko. Anzu knew he would not easily forgive her for not informing him he was a father.

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Anzu allowed her daughter to drag her down the corridors to the Bakurians' guest quarters. She hoped Bakura was alone, but she was almost certain he wouldn't be at this time; it was not even time for breakfast yet.

"Mommy, if I have a new daddy, what do I call Papa Yuugi?" Ryoko asked, looking up at Anzu. The question startled the woman. She placed a finger to her mouth in thought before shrugging.

"Well, I guess he can be your Uncle Yuugi now," she concluded. She prayed that Ryoko did not actually call him Uncle Yuugi, however, because he would question why he was no longer Papa Yuugi.

Anzu knocked softly on the mahogany wood door once they reached it. The door was quickly opened by Malik. He looked out at the two females in surprise. Anzu sighed in relief.

"Thank God, it's you," she breathed. Malik's eyes widened further.

"Thank God, it's me?" he echoed in astonishment. Anzu ignored his baffled expression.

"Is," she hesitated, "Careen here?" A knowing smile tugged at Malik's lips as he stepped aside to allow them to enter.

"No, she's in the ladies' solar," he responded. Anzu nodded appreciatively and let go of Ryoko's hand, so she could dart inside in search of her father.

"I'm terribly sorry to bother you this early, but she was throwing a tantrum to see... to see Bakura," Anzu stammered embarrassedly. Malik waved her off.

"It's fine. We've been awake for a while," he replied before turning away toward the little girl who was looking around in wonderment. He picked her up and swung her around. "There's my favorite girl in the whole wide universe!" She squealed and giggled, but when he set her down, she looked at him suspiciously.

"Who are you?" she asked. He grinned wolfishly at her.

"I'm your Uncle Malik," he supplied. The declaration surprised Anzu at first, but she was forced to remember how loving Bakurians were towards children--Bakura's own display a few nights prior had shocked her. She mused that even though Malik was not a Bakurian, he had spent over half of his life with them, and he had surely been scarred by his own childhood neglection.

"Just how many uncles do I have?" Ryoko exclaimed cutely. He chuckled.

"Bakura doesn't keep secrets very well, does he?" Anzu asked dryly.

While tickling the toddler until she nearly cried with her laughter, Malik responded, "No, but I do." Anzu understood that he would not say anything about Ryoko's fatherly heritage.

Anzu looked up when Bakura entered the room, rubbing a towel through his damp hair. His shirt hung open to the waist and revealed a chiseled chest with a few pale curls, but he made no move to button the shirt. Anzu was ashamed to admit to herself that she was glad he didn't. She gathered he must have heard them talking because he was not surprised when his daughter ran up and latched herself onto his leg.

He cast the towel aside and swung Ryoko up onto his shoulders. He stared at Anzu expectantly.

"She wanted to see you," she offered lamely, avoiding his gaze. Bakura bounced Ryoko around and didn't reply immediately.

After a minute of non-stop giggling from his daughter, Bakura simply replied, "I see."

Anzu bit her lip, unsure of what she could possibly say to put them both at ease. Malik was standing off to the side awkwardly, wondering if he should leave.

"More, daddy! More!" Ryoko screamed, reaching her arms up towards the ceiling. Bakura felt a peculiar fluttering in his chest. He found he liked the little girl calling him "daddy." With a swooshing noise, he tossed her up in the air and pretended to drop her. Just before she hit the ground, he caught her and spun around. The action only caused Ryoko to beg for more, but it just about gave Anzu a stroke.

"Don't do that! It's dangerous!" she scolded, momentarily forgetting their current stand-off.

"And she really _did _used to point guns at everything," Bakura commented off-handedly to Malik with a disbelieving shake of his head. The younger cousin chuckled at Anzu's sour expression.

"You have a sharp thingie!" Ryoko exclaimed, trying to tug Bakura's dagger out of his back waistline. He pulled her hands away and shook his head.

"Maybe I'll teach you to throw a dagger someday," he suggested. Anzu frowned, not liking the idea of her three-year-old walking around, throwing sharp knives at anything and everything.

"Shouldn't you be spending the entire day getting ready for your betrothal ball?" Bakura asked, struggling to keep his tone as nonchalant as possible. Anzu shifted uncomfortably, but was saved from responding, for Careen chose that moment to enter the room.

"A ball?" she simpered, hurt that she had not been informed earlier. She briefly wondered about the little girl standing next to her king and holding his hand, but decided it would be best not to comment. That stupid Earthling bounty huntress was present again. Fine, Careen thought. I can see I'm just not good enough to measure up to Anzu in King Bakura's eyes. Swallowing back her internal pain, she said, "I had better go change!" She sailed past the group toward the bathroom, sneering at Anzu along the way.

"And I thought she had to wait for the full moon," Malik commented casually, examining his nails. Bakura laughed cruelly. Careen paused in step, proof that she had heard, but she did not turn around or reply. Anzu's heart went out to the woman.

She turned on the two cousins with a disapproving glare. "If you dislike her so much, why do you keep her around?"

Malik looked thoughtfully at Bakura with a tiny shrug. "Yes, why do we?"

Bakura crossed his arms over his bared chest; damn him, he still had not buttoned that shirt! "She is good for _one _thing," the king told Anzu suggestively.

She made a sound of disgust. Jealousy arose in the pit of her stomach, but she forced it down. She didn't care that he blatantly flaunted his mistress to her. She really didn't! She was engaged! Steeling herself, she snapped, "That is a horrible thing to say. She has feelings, too!" She grasped Ryoko's hand gently. "Come on, honey."

"Mommy, no!" Ryoko wailed, starting to cry.

"Stop that! You can see him at the ball tonight," Anzu assured her. The promise stilled the girl's tears for the moment, and the two left the room.

"Good going, Bakura," Malik stated sarcastically after the door had been firmly shut by Anzu. The white-haired king shot his cousin a scathing look.

"_You're_ the one who said it," he replied pointedly.

"Well, _you're_ the one who laughed!"

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "Bah!" He swiftly exited the main sitting room back to his bedroom.

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Anzu sent out for lunch, though she merely drank a cup of tea herself. She was much too nervous about that evening. She and Ryoko had skipped lunch in the dining hall to, as Bakura had put it, spend the entire day readying themselves for the ball that night. Of course, that meant that Ryoko played around all day until thirty minutes before it was time to leave, and Anzu spent the day wondering if "that dress made her look fat."

She had called in a hairdresser, make-up artist, and wardrobe consultant. Anzu did not understand why she was going to such trouble to look absolutely perfect when she was less than thrilled about even attending. Curling up on the couch with a bucket of ice cream seemed much more inviting at the moment. Still yet, she bathed as soon as she had returned from the Bakurian quarters.

Her hairdresser had convinced her that her hair was beautiful, flowing down as it was and to merely curl the ends a bit for volume. Anzu could live with that; the less work, the better.

The wardrobe consultant had quickly called in a dressmaker, all the while scolding Anzu in a motherly fashion about waiting until the last minute. Anzu had watched as the dressmaker designed and put together her ballgown in front of her very eyes. Of course, due to the current fashion, the way the top was designed was already a set standard; however, Anzu was able to tell the dressmaker exactly how she wanted the skirt portion.

The top was the standard chest-baring halter top in white with a small curvy design of tiny blue gems on each breast strap. The skirt, also white, flowed down to only bare her toes. The bottom of the white skirt was trimmed in the curvy design of blue gems. Over the white skirt, lay two sheer blue overlays of fabric, overlapping each other in a jagged fashion, and also trimmed in the blue gems.

The make-up artist had done gorgeous work with matching Anzu's dress. With skin gems, a tattoo was pressed onto Anzu's right bicep in the same design as was on her skirt. Her lips were seductively puckered in red, and her eyes were dramatic with blue eyeshadow, both on her eyelids and the lining underneath her eyes. The make-up artist had also been creative enough to apply three tiny blue gems at the corners of each eye.

Anzu had quickly dressed Ryoko in a white gown with a blue shawl to cover her shoulders and chest. Knowing her daughter would be running amok at the ball and would not want her hair flying all over the place, Anzu had piled Ryoko's curly locks atop her head and secured them with a blue rose and pin.

"Are you ready?" Anzu asked, kneeling in front of Ryoko to adjust her shawl.

"Isn't Uncle Jou going to take us to the ball?" the little girl asked, patiently petting Chisara. Anzu shook her head. Jounouchi usually escorted the pair to dinner and other society events since it would not be seemly for Yuugi to do so since they were not yet married; she found that custom to be very backwards thinking.

"Not tonight. It's custom for the lady and man to arrive separately and alone for their betrothal ball." Another stupid custom. What was it... the twenty-second century?

"Okay. I'm ready!" Ryoko stated with an excited bounce. Anzu smiled and held her daughter's hand as they walked to the dining hall where, first, a light dinner would be served.

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Dinner was finishing and he _still _hadn't showed up! This was just like him. He probably wouldn't even come at all, and she had gone through so much trouble to look beautiful. Absently, she patted the back of her hair as if a single strand may be out of place. She had never felt so ridiculous in her life as she did at that moment, fidgeting about with her hair like a young schoolgirl.

"Ready?" Yuugi asked, coming to her side with a hand outstretched. She accepted the hand and stood from the table, nodding politely, yet not eager to go on to the ball. After patting Ryoko's mouth with her napkin, the trio entered the adjoining ballroom with the many guests. Ryoko instantly ran up to Jounouchi and Mai to show off her new dress. With a sigh, Anzu leaned against a column.

"Would you like some punch?" Yuugi asked, sensing her exhaustion, may it be mental or physical. Anzu nodded absent-mindedly, not truly thirsty, but once again wondering why he didn't come. Yuugi promised to be back soon before walking around toward the snack table.

Anzu nearly jumped three feet at the voice from directly behind her. "May I have the first dance?"

She whirled around, startled. Somewhere nearby, someone gasped and whispered, "Scandalous!"

Anzu stared dazedly at Bakura as he looked down at her with a glint in his eyes. As always, he was decked out in black with his usual black cape. However, he had left his shirt undone the first few buttons, revealing his chiseled chest to her and the rest of the female populace looking on in lust. His untamed hair and casually seductive apparel suddenly reminded Anzu of the English pirates from a millenia ago she had learned about in World History as a child.

"Yes, you may," she replied quietly, allowing Bakura to guide her out to the floor and take her in his arms, closer than was decent.

"You look quite the vixen tonight," he commented with a seductive undertone lacing his voice. She frowned.

"Yeah? Well, you look quite the seducer of innocents, as usual."(qp)

He only grinned maliciously, making no attempt at a disagreement.

From his place next to the snack table, Prince Yuugi observed the scene distastefully; his jealousy threatened to consume him, but he scolded himself for being so distrustful. Anzu was merely indulging the foreign king's wishes. She was not at fault; it was that damned Bakura. He blatantly flirted with women who were engaged to other men. Why, Yuugi thought, he must surely have defiled many innocents.

Yuugi scowled and picked up two punch glasses. He swiftly advanced on the couple who was dancing too closely for his liking. "Darling, I have your punch," Yuugi stated to get their combined attention. Anzu pulled away from Bakura quickly, startled.

"Oh, thank you," she breathed, accepting the proffered glass. She turned to Bakura, saying diplomatically, "Thank you for the dance, King Bakura."

Bakura tossed his hair alluringly and grasped her hand. "The pleasure was mine. I hope to see you sometime later..." he trailed off, his hand lingering on Anzu's long enough to make Yuugi squeeze his punch glass near to the breaking point.

"Never have I seen any man so indecent. He even leaves his shirt hanging open!" Yuugi exclaimed, not bothering to hide his disgust from his fiancee. She merely shifted awkwardly, sipping her punch and seeking out her daughter in the crowd. Anzu gasped when she saw Ryoko run up to Bakura excitedly.

"What is it?" Yuugi asked, turning to see what had startled her.

"Wait!" she yelled, not wanting him to see his soon-to-be stepdaughter chattering to his archenemy. His questioningly surprised glance caused her to clear her throat. "I mean to say, I want to dance!" she amended. He raised a brow at her odd display, but obligingly led her to the dance floor, thankfully not looking in the direction of Bakura, Malik, Careen, and Ryoko.

The rest of the ball passed without catastrophe. Anzu had shared dances with many men, but Bakura had refused any requests, his only dance having been the first of the evening with Anzu. Careen seethed with rage at this fact, but tried to hide it for fear of upsetting her king. Malik had requested a few dances with her when he noticed her anger over Bakura not accepting a dance. She had agreed to Malik's offers. He had made an insulting comment about her golden dress clashing with her hair color, but had otherwise been polite to her.

He had been one of her favorite masters, and she still found him extremely attractive, but he could be terribly cruel sometimes. Yet, Bakura could also be cruel, but she loved him. She could put up with it from him.

Gradually, guests began to leave the ball, each bidding Anzu and Yuugi good luck and giving their congratulations. Anzu wasn't surprised to find that the Bakurians were among the first to leave the ball. Bakura was not the partying type.

Near midnight, Anzu laid Ryoko gently in her bed, pulling the covers up to her neck. The three-year-old did not stir in her exhaustion. With a tired sigh, the woman exited her daughter's bedroom and crossed the main sitting room in the direction of her own room and the welcoming bed waiting within.

She nearly screamed when she entered her bedroom to find Bakura standing next to the dooorway. She pressed a hand to her chest to still her slamming heart.

"What in God's name are you doing here?" she demanded, closing the door to keep from waking Ryoko. She crossed the room and switched on the lamp, never removing her eyes from the king. He shrugged and pulled off his dark shirt to reveal the pale chest beneath. His fair skin combined with the snowy hair gave him an almost ethereal appearance.

"I came to tuck you in," he replied mysteriously. Anzu's eyes narrowed.

"No, Bakura," she warned him as he advanced on her. "No!" She shook her head wildly, but did not--could not--stop him from unclasping the hook behind her neck that held the straps of her dress in place. With nothing to support it, the beautiful gown slid to the floor in a white and blue pool at her feet. She did not try to step away when he tilted her head back and descended his soft lips to her own.

His hand massaged her breast as he held her to him. She finally pulled away to breathe. "I can't. I'm engaged!"

He backed away from her, and she found she missed his warmth. "Well, I don't want to be a _seducer of innocents_, so I'll go."

"No!" she yelled, alarmed. She looked down in shame. "Don't leave."

He smirked. He took her back into his arms, and she didn't try to resist.

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In Bakura's and her shared bedroom, Careen fumed. She knew where he was and who he was with. Anzu would get hers for stealing away Bakura. Careen knew a _very _valuable secret, but what good did it do her when she didn't want to anger Bakura. He would never love her if she told Yuugi about Ryoko!

While she laid alone in bed, her conniving mind set to work at a way to reveal Bakura and Anzu without being blamed.

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(qp)I drew this scene. Please forgive the terrible drawing; I'm _definitely _not an artist. I really just wanted to draw Anzu's dress, but it evolved into her and Bakura. ; Anyway, if anyone wants to see it, it can be viewed at wwwDOTan-eternityDOTcom/BakuraAnzu.jpg.

MikariStar was also kind enough to make a really cute animated GIF of Ryoko on Bakura's shoulders. It's adorable! It can be viewed at wwwDOTan-eternityDOTcom/bakuraryoko.gif. Thanks so much, Mika!


	22. Chapter Twentytwo

Target: You

Chapter Twenty-two

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Liz Inc: There will not be anymore spaceships, traveling to other planets, etc. in this story; however, there will be plenty of that in the sequel-actually more than there was in this story.

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Careen sauntered through the corridors of the Earth palace, studying each door she passed. She hated the organization here; every door and corridor looked the same. Back on Bakura, it was easy to tell what part of the palace one was in. The king's personal corridor was decorated in black; Malik's was gray; other nobility's were in white; the guest corridors were decorated in tan; and, finally, the servants' corridors were brown.

It wasn't that way on Earth. She could be wandering aimlessly through the servants' quarters and not have a clue! Each of the four times she had asked a servant for directions to Lady Mai's quarters, she had only become more lost.

Careen had decided in the middle of the night on a course of action to solve her dilemma. She could not tell Prince Yuugi that his fiancee was sleeping with another man; not only would he probably not believe her, he would inform Bakura at once, and Careen would be banished from his presence, if not the entire planet. Careen had seen Mai conversing familiarly with the prince at the betrothal ball and felt the buxom blonde would be the perfect choice to tell Prince Yuugi the terrible news about his innocent little fiancee.

Careen could not simply tell Lady Mai of her suspicions because Mai was also Anzu's friend. She had to find a way for the Earth lady to stumble upon a compromising scene between Bakura and Anzu. Careen had no doubt that the pair was still lounging about in Anzu's quarters; it was only half-past seven in the morning.

Contemplating her course of action, Careen rounded a corner and nearly ran into just the person she was looking for. She looked up in relief. "Oh, Lady Mai! I was just searching for you."

"For me?" Mai asked, surprised.

Careen nodded in a fearful manner. "I'm afraid so. You see, I was passing by Lady Anzu's quarters on my way to the ladies' solar when I heard very peculiar screaming coming from inside. Oh, I was so worried that something was amiss! However, Lady Anzu does not know me, and I didn't want to frighten her by barging into her quarters. You are her friend, so I was hoping you could check on her to make sure she is all right."

Mai's eyes widened in alarm, fearing something had happened to Anzu or Ryoko. Suspicions of why Careen had not notified a guard did not enter into her line of thought. "Thank you so much for letting me know! I'll check on her right now." With that, the lady hitched up her skirt and dashed off down the corridor.

With a smile gracing her lips, Careen's piercing blue eyes followed Mai until she could no longer be seen.

XDXDXDXDXD

"This is so wrong," Anzu mumbled, tracing patterns on Bakura's bare chest. He stroked her hair softly as she lay across him.

"Then why does it feel so right?" Bakura replied, glancing down at her. Anzu blushed slightly.

"I feel like such a slut," she admitted, pulling the blanket up further over the two of them as a chill overcame her. Bakura merely shook his head at her declaration.

"Anzu," he started, hesitantly, "there's something I wanted to tell you." He took a moment to gather his thoughts, feeling rather foolish for saying anything at all. Finally, he said, "Last night, I hated seeing you with that moron, Yuugi. Truly, I-"

"Shh," she hushed him, sitting up slightly. "Do you hear that?" Bakura shrugged crossly, a bit peeved at being interrupted.

"Anzu!" a voice called out.

"Oh, shit," the brunette cursed, feeling like her stomach was dropping down farther than it should. Before she could react to someone being in her quarters, her bedroom door was creaked open and Mai stepped in.

"Anzu, I wanted to check-" the blonde stopped abruptly when she realized Anzu was not alone in her bed. "Oh, dear," she whispered, her hand moving to cover her mouth in shock.

"Mai!" Anzu began frantically, sitting up completely in bed while holding the sheet to her chest. "It isn't what it looks like."

Bakura looked up at her in angry disbelief. "Please," he retorted with a disgusted look. He threw the blanket off of his naked form and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Mai whirled around to face the wall, a deep blush staining her cheeks.

"Bakura, hold on a minute," Anzu insisted, wrapping the sheet around her and standing from the bed, also. The fair-colored king snatched his pants off the carpet and yanked them on quickly. He grabbed his shirt and cape, but didn't bother to put them on.

"'It's not what it looks like,'" Bakura mimicked. "You damn whore," he accused before storming out of Anzu's bedroom and out of the quarters completely.

"Bakura!" she screamed, tears gathering in her eyes. "Oh, damnit!" Mai turned around and faced her with a disapproving gleam in her eye.

"Anzu, how could you do this to Yuugi? He's been so good to you."

"I'm sorry! I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it! Mai, you have to understand, I have feelings for him," Anzu cried, her pleadings turning into sobs.

"Mommy? I heard yelling," Ryoko said, stepping into the room and rubbing her eyes sleepily. Anzu quickly dabbed away any remnants of tears. She forced a smile onto her features.

"It's fine, honey," she assured the toddler. She looked up at Mai pathetically. "Please, Mai."

The woman shook her head. "I won't say anything, but I cannot condone what you're doing." She glanced down at Ryoko who was looking up curiously. "Leave Y-U-U-G-I if you must, but don'tcheat on him."

Ryoko pouted. Whenever adults spelled something out, she wasn't supposed to know what it was.

Anzu nodded in a depressed manner. Mai was right, of course. She couldn't keep cheating on Yuugi, and she couldn't keep leading Bakura on. What was she supposed to do? She had to choose between the two of them. How could she possibly do that though? Yuugi had been there for her through thick and thin. He had taken Ryoko in as if she were his own daughter. He trusted her and cared deeply for her.

On the other hand, Bakura had been her first love. He was still terribly handsome and dangerously exciting. Nothing in life would ever be dull with him around. He was Ryoko's true father. How could she possibly choose?

She had to talk to Bakura. She instructed a servant to stay with Ryoko before rushing out of the quarters in search of her lover.

XDXDXDXDXD

Bakura stomped through the corridors of the palace, brushing aside any unfortunate servants he happened to cross paths with. She had some nerve. It wasn't what it looked like? Oh, it certainly was what it bloody looked like! What was he... a damn harem boy, not important for anything except a romp in the sack? That was the second time in his life he had been prepared to confess his true feelings for her and she had done something completely inconsiderate to stop it.

Up ahead, he could spot Prince Yuugi coming down the corridor. He set his jaw tightly. Yuugi was the _last _person he wanted to see. He looked straight forward as he approached the younger man, keeping his eye contact at a point in front of him. He was fully prepared to not say a word or look at him, but Yuugi had other plans.

"What has your underwear in a wad? The lady prostitute not living up to your standards, so you have to seek out _my _fiancee to flirt shamelessly?" Yuugi taunted, not realizing just how true his suggestion was.

Bakura gasped angrily and stopped next to him, looking askance at Yuugi. "You got a problem, little prince?"

Yuugi crossed his arms and faced Bakura in the corridor. The two stared each other down silently for a minute. "That's what I thought," Bakura sneered before walking away. Yuugi spun around angrily.

"I do have a problem! Stop hitting on Anzu," he exclaimed. Bakura glanced at him coolly over his shoulder.

"I can do whatever I want."

Yuugi yanked off his cape and tossed it aside. "We'll see what you can do. Man to man."

Bakura chuckled. "You want it that way? Fine. You caught me at just the right moment." He calmly unclasped his own cape and threw it down behind him.

Yuugi took a swing at Bakura, and missed. "Just leave Anzu alone. She's going to marry me! I care about her."

Bakura calmly side-stepped another punch thrown his way. He wondered if Yuugi knew about Anzu's past. "So marry her then. I'm not trying to stop you."

Yuugi kicked out at Bakura who caught his ankle and kneed him in the gut. Yuugi spit out a bit of blood and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. "I don't want you trying to influence her in any way," he bit out harshly.

Bakura smirked crookedly, but a swift punch sent his head snapping back. He spat to the side and narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, my God! Stop it, you two!" Anzu cried, running up to the scene. Bakura and Yuugi glanced at her briefly and grudgingly stepped away from each other.

"He fucking started it," Bakura accused, discounting the fact that he sounded like a tattle-tale five-year-old.

"Well, stop trying to sleep with my fiancee!" Yuugi snarled back. Anzu gasped. She looked worriedly at Bakura, but his expression revealed nothing.

"You've got her. Quit being so distrustful," the king sneered. He turned his back on the two of them, but not before giving Anzu a last disgusted look.

"That's right. I've got the girl because she'd never be interested in a sleeze like you," Yuugi taunted. Bakura stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned back around.

"Oh?" he inquired with raised brows.

"Please, don't," Anzu whimpered quietly, sensing his brewing anger. Bakura did not glance at her. He stepped up closer to Yuugi who stood undaunted although he was shorter than the older man.

"I've had it up to here with your shit, little _boy,_" he snapped, holding his hand up above his head. The King of Earth along with Mai, Jounouchi, Malik, and Careen came running down the corridor.

"What is going on? A servant said there was a fight going on?" the king demanded incredulously. Bakura, Yuugi, and Anzu all ignored him.

"She's plenty interested, and I can have her whenever I want," Bakura continued, staring down at Yuugi who clenched his fists at his sides. "In fact, I just did."

Yuugi gasped and Anzu's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, dear," Mai whispered. She looked from Anzu to Yuugi to Bakura and back again. The vivacious brunette's hand shook pathetically in front of her face, and she looked close to tears.

"You lying son of a-"

"You're surprised?" Bakura cut Yuugi off. "Well, goodness, _Angel_, you sure keep a lot of secrets, don't you?" he asked sarcastically, not looking at her. He glanced back at the king conspiratorially. "By the way, Angel is short for Angel of Death."

"Angel of Death! What is going on?" the king demanded. Yuugi shook his head, looking at Anzu.

"_You _were the Angel of Death bounty hunter?" he asked in shock.

"And I thought the enormous black cat was a dead give-away," Bakura remarked casually, examining his nails. Malik motioned for his cousin to stop his cruel antics, but Bakura paid him no mind. Guilt pillowed itself in Careen's gut, something she was shocked to discover.

"Stop it, Bakura," Anzu pleaded, hot tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.

"If you didn't even know that, I bet you also don't know what she was doing all that time she was away after her father died," Bakura suggested.

"She was travelling; everybody knows that," King Mutou said angrily.

"I suppose. She was with me, of course," the Bakurian king clarified. "I was one of her bounties, you know. The poor thing couldn't go through with the kill though. Could you imagine why?"

Anzu shook her head wildly. "Stop, stop, stop," she whispered hoarsely, sinking to the floor in a heap of chocolate curls and tears.

"Bakura!" Malik's voice boomed as he knelt down next to Anzu, resting his hands on her shoulders.

Bakura continued on mercilessly. "She _cared _about me. Still does apparently since she slept with me just last night."

"She wouldn't!" Yuugi yelled, backing away from the group. Anzu's increase in crying only served to confirm Bakura's statement. Careen looked at her king as if she had never seen him before. Anzu was near hysteria in Malik's arms. How could Bakura do this to her if he cared about her as he seemed to?

Anzu would have given anything in that moment for the opportunity to drown Bakura in the nearest river. With all the secret-spilling he was having such a joyous time doing, Yuugi would never marry her. Ryoko would have no chance to grow up with a loving father.

"Get out," the king gritted out between closed teeth, "before I cancel the contract."

Bakura held his hands up in a mocking surrender motion. "With pleasure." He looked sideways at Yuugi with a cruel smile playing on his lips. "Just one more thing. You know that adorable toddler you're so fond of?"

Yuugi's breath caught in his throat. Bakura's grin widened predatorily. "She's _my _daughter."

"No!" the Earth prince shouted. He looked down at Anzu on the floor and felt slightly off-balance. "Anzu, say it isn't true," he fairly begged, his magenta orbs glistening. "Ryoko isn't his daughter!"

The corridor was deathly silent for what seemed like hours, but in reality, was only a few seconds. Bakura eyed Yuugi and Anzu as if he were a wolf and they were his fresh meat for the day. He licked his lips in anticipation of the moment when Yuugi would hit rock-bottom.

"I'm sorry!" Anzu sobbed.

Yuugi stumbled backward, slamming his back against the wall. "Oh, God." He looked down at his hands with wide eyes.

"Well, then! Looks like _I originally_ got the girl," he pointed out to Yuugi maliciously. "Goodbye everyone. Keep in touch!" With a cheerful wave and a cruel laugh,he pivotedon his heel and strode off down the corridor. Careen hesitated, looking down at Anzu and Malik still huddled on the floor. Finally, she ran off after Bakura. Mai and Jounouchi stared dazedly at each other, speechless.

"Prince Yuugi," Malik began. The man was still staring down at his hands in shock, not acknowledging the comforting hand of his grandfather rested on his shoulder. The blond Tevineliv native cursed, seeing that he was the only one capable of helping Anzu. He gently pulled her to her feet and brushed her hair out of her face. She clung to him desperately, still crying loudly. He supported her full weight as he led her in the direction of what he hoped to be her rooms; he doubted she would be of any assistance if they got lost. None of the four remaining Earthlings noticed they had gone.

XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD

Stay tuned for the next, and final, chapter of Target: You...


	23. Chapter Twentythree

Target: You

Chapter Twenty-three

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Magicman/Smokegirl: Please don't hate Bakura! Eek! He's just mad-Makes a bunch of excuses for his mean behavior- XD But seriously, guys... Yami Bakura isn't exactly nice in the manga! Lol...

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Four days after the betrothal ball, Bakura found himself drudging in the direction of Anzu and Ryoko's quarters. He knew he should have been far away from Earth by now, but here he was, and still in the palace, no less.

The morning after the betrothal ball when Bakura had put all of Anzu's secrets out into the open, he had left that loathsome corridor with every intention of getting the hell off Earth and never returning-he would simply have someone else check inventory on the backwatered hell-planet. He had shooed Careen away to pack, so that he could bask in his victory in peace, but his solitary gloating over the Prince of Earth and Anzu had been short-lived.

Twenty minutes or so later, Malik had stormed into their quarters, slamming the door shut behind him. With arms crossed and eyes ablaze, he had stood stalk-still in front of Bakura with a scowl so furious, it would have sent Careen or any one other than Bakura running for the door. After nearly a minute of being pinned by the angry expression, Bakura had finally demanded what was wrong with Malik.

"In nearly twenty years of being your friend, I have never been ashamed of you. But just now, I was pretty damn close," Malik had replied harshly.

Bakura had been rendered speechless for a few seconds. His prideful happiness over knocking Yuugi down a peg and teaching Anzu he wasn't a toy to play around with was quickly fading. "This is a joke, right," he asked in bafflement.

"I can't believe you could be so heartless _and_ such an idiot at the same damn time." With that, Malik had swiftly crossed the main sitting room to his bedroom, slamming yet another door with a resounding smack. Bakura wasn't sure how long he had stared at his cousin's uninviting door, but he had been broken from the spell by Careen's timid voice.

"I am ready to leave at your order, my king," she said softly, looking at the plushly carpeted floor. He stood from the couch, and she quickly backed away toward the wall.

"Oh, not you, too! For God's sake, I'm not going to beat you," he snapped. The lovely blonde didn't look up or reply. With an angry growl, Bakura stormed from the quarters, unsure of where he would go, but needing to get away from the disdainful air Malik and Careen left in their wake.

_I had every damn right to do what I did! They were asking for it!_ he thought to himself.

Bakura sighed at the memory. After having had three days to cool down, he realized he had been way too harsh, and that he had had no right to reveal Anzu's most personal secrets. He hadn't seen her-or any other Earthling, for that matter-since the scandalous event happened, but he was positive she would definitely not want to see him. Still, he knew he had to try to make amends before he left.

He stopped in front of her door which seemed ever daunting now. He steeled himself and banged his fist on the wood door, harder than he had intended. A few moments later, the door was opened by none other than Anzu herself. The door was promptly closed in his face.

Bakura scowled and knocked again. Once more, she opened the door a crack.

"Leave me the hell alone," she ground out slowly and moved to shut the door again. He stuck his foot in it.

"Anzu, hear me out," he said, trying to squeeze his way through the door. Although she was tough, her strength was no match for his, and he shoved his way inside.

"How dare you even come here?" she asked with a disgusted shake of her head.

"What I did was uncalled for," he began, holding his hands out in surrender. "I shouldn't have spoiled all of your secrets. I was so mad already because of what you said to Lady Mai, and then stupid Yuugi picked a fight, and-" He stopped his rantings and cleared his throat. "And I'm sorry."

She laughed shortly. "You're _sorry?_ You can't even begin to be sorry! You don't even know the meaning of the word! You _ruined_ my_ life!_" she yelled, emphasizing every word. Bakura had to force himself to stand still, for the urge to back away from her was overwhelming. "Any chance Ryoko had at growing up with a loving father has been ruined because of _you_! So, congratulations, Bakura. You got what you wanted! After all of these years, you finally got back at me." She shook her head silently, hardly even able to look him in the eye. "Let yourself out." She pivoted on her heel and quickly left the main sitting room.

Bakura's eyes had become so large, it hurt to look forward. He would have preferred a physical punch straight to the face rather than her verbal assault. He would have even preferred her when she was holding him at gunpoint that night four years prior when he had realized he cared about her.

Hot, wet tears ran down his cheeks, but the notion was so foreign to him that it didn't even dawn on him that he was, indeed, crying. He merely swiped at the offending drops unconsciously. "I didn't get what I wanted..." he whispered.

XDXDXDXDXD

The next day, Anzu received another unexpected visit. She had avoided the dining hall completely and had only seen Mai since the morning after the betrothal ball (with the exception of Bakura).

The knock on the door brought no suspicions-she merely guessed it to be a servant-but she was surprised to see Yuugi standing awkwardly off to the side when she opened the door. He was looking all around himself as if he had never before seen her door and the corridor it was in.

"Yuugi," she finally said.

"Hello," he replied quietly. He clasped his hands behind his back and shifted from one foot to the other.

"Won't you come in?" she offered, sensing his hesitation. His shoulders relaxed slightly when she stepped aside, and he entered the main sitting room. He stood awkwardly to the side until Anzu motioned for him to sit on the couch.

"Anzu," he began slowly. "about what happened. Well, I'll just come right out and say it. I'm sorry I shunned you. I am _so _sorry," he said, grapsing her hands in his. "When you first came to Earth and you were pregnant, I just started to think of Ryoko as my daughter because I've had the pleasure of watching her grow. When I found out _he _was her father, it just shocked me severely. And then to find out that you have been... well, I was just stunned."

Anzu sniffled and nodded. "I cannot even express how sorry I am. Yuugi, I just hope that you will not hate me forever."

His brows lifted. "Hate you?" He laughed. "Anzu, don't be silly. I couldn't hate you! Actually, what I came here to ask was if you would still consider marrying me."

Anzu's heart pounded in her chest. Ryoko's chance at a happy future wasn't ruined after all! Bakura's face appeared in her mind's eye, but she shoved it away internally.

"I don't deserve you," Anzu told Yuugi, shaking her head.

He smiled tenderly. "You made one mistake. Everyone does. That doesn't mean you're unworthy of being happy."

She laughed tearfully and hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she said sincerely. He returned the embrace for a minute before standing.

"Well, then, I guess I had better stop the servants from tearing down the decorations. Married in two days. Can you believe it?" he asked. He shook his head with a grin before bidding her goodbye.

Anzu sighed and leaned against the door after Yuugi had left. She was overjoyed at the prospect of Ryoko having a loving father, but thoughts of Bakura threatened to drain her of any happiness. But she couldn't think of him now. He had nearly destroyed what she had worked so hard to attain. She shook her head as if to clear any remaining thoughts of him.

Ryoko entered the main room from her bedroom. She walked up and hugged her mother.

"You look tired, mommy."

Anzu smiled. "It's been a long week, sweetie. But as long as you're here, I have energy! I love you!"

Ryoko giggled and replied, "I love you, Angel."

Anzu looked down sharply at her daughter, a sudden pain constricting her chest. "What did you just say?" she asked slowly.

Ryoko suddenly looked distraught and wondered if she had upset her mother. "Nothing, mommy. I didn't mean it."

Anzu knelt down in front of her daughter. "No, no, no. You're not in trouble. Tell me where you heard that," she demanded softly, her heart pounding in her chest. Her face was hot and she heard a distinct ringing in her ears.

"When daddy was here," the little girl whispered, still wondering if she would get in trouble. Anzu sat back on her heels in shock. She swallowed painfully. He loved her...

XDXDXDXDXD

The night before her wedding, Anzu turned to the side in front of the full-length mirror, examining herself. Her ivory wedding gown was absolutely breath-taking, but she felt incomplete in it. She forced a smile onto her face and practiced a curtsy in the dress.

_I love you, Angel._

Anzu shook her head fiercely. She could not think about that now. Her and Bakura simply weren't suited, that was all there was to it.

_I love you, Angel._

She swallowed a sob and sunk into a nearby chair. She wasn't being fair to herself or Yuugi. He didn't deserve to marry a woman who was in love with another man. There was nothing for it. Anzu had to break the engagement off before she truly ended up hurting Yuugi. She would simply have to be enough for Ryoko by herself.

Resigned and depressed, she shrugged out of the wedding gown and carefully folded it. After laying it on her bed, she exited her rooms in search of Yuugi before her courage left her.

The Prince of Earth looked up as she entered the small library he was in. He embraced her, and he noticed she was hesitant to return it.

"What is wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"I can't do this. I'm so sorry, but I can't marry you," she begged off. Yuugi's heart sank, but he wasn't truly surprised.

"You love him, don't you?" he asked. Seto Kaiba had asked her the same question four years prior and she had denied it, but she found she could not deny it this time.

She nodded dully. "Yes."

"Well, then, it would not be fair to you to be married to me," he replied softly. She looked up, heartstricken.

"You can do so much better than me! Please forgive me," she pleaded. He took her hands in his.

"I hope we will remain friends at least," he told her, trying to hide the heartbreak plaguing him.

"I am not worthy of being your friend, but thank you," she whispered. He hugged her tightly one more time, and she left the library. He held a hand out after her for a minute before finally letting it numbly fall to his side.

Anzu sunk down into a heap in the shadows of a rarely-used corridor.

"Lady Anzu?" a female voice inquired quietly. The brunette looked up miserably. She was surprised to see Careen standing before her, worriedly. She wondered what the woman was still doing on Earth. She figured Bakura would have left the day before. Careen noted the circles under the younger woman's eyes, and she broke down.

"Oh, Lady Anzu, it's all my fault! I am so sorry!" she cried, falling down next to the Earthling with her head bowed low. Anzu was momentarily shocked into speechlessness at the outburst.

"What is your fault, Careen?" she asked, baffled.

"I told Lady Mai about you and King Bakura! Please forgive me!"

Anzu sighed and sank back into the wall. "It is not your fault Yuugi found out. Mai didn't tell."

Careen looked up with relief clearly showing on her pretty features. She cast her eyes down. "Still, I am forever indebted to you for trying to sabotage you. I was just so jealous of you! But now I know that King Bakura will never love me like he loves you."

Anzu rested her hand on top of the other lady's and squeezed gently. "There are other men who will love you."

Careen shook her head sadly. "No, there isn't. Even King Bakura thinks I'm an annoyance, and he lets Lord Malik be mean to me," she said, her voice cracking as she started to cry. Anzu did not know if she felt worse for herself or for Careen at the moment. She rubbed the other woman's silky, gold locks.

"Did you ever think that maybe Malik is mean to you because he doesn't respect you?" Anzu inquired gently. Careen looked up with a sniffle.

"What do you mean?"

Anzu chose her words carefully. "Careen, you are a lovely woman; you don't need to give yourself to every man. Someone will love you for who you are."

The concept seemed foreign to the Bakurian woman. "Do you really think so?" she whispered.

Anzu shook her head. "I _know _so."

"My lady, I beg of you to stay on Earth and be your ladymaid," Careen pleaded. Anzu smiled.

"I could never ask that. But there is something you can help me with," she responded and pushed herself to her feet. The other woman quickly jumped up.

"Anything! I'll do anything!" she exclaimed. The complete turn-around in Careen's personality astounded Anzu, but she smiled reassuringly anyway.

"Please follow me." She motioned for the blonde to follow her down the corridor in the direction of her rooms.

XDXDXDXDXD

Near eleven o'clock that night, Malik boarded the Bakurian spaceship to prepare to leave Earth. He shook the raindrops from his hair and walked the remaining distance to the sleeping quarters. Entering the main sitting room which led off to five separate bedrooms, he spotted Careen on the far side of the room.

"What is she doing here?" he exclaimed, noticing that the head Careen was drying belonged to Ryoko. The woman didn't respond, but instead ushered the little girl and Chisara into one of the bedrooms and tucked the toddler into the bed. She returned to the main sitting room to find Malik still standing in the same place, calmly regarding her. Apparently, he figured out what Ryoko was doing on the ship since he didn't question her further about it. Instead, he sauntered up to her with a smirk.

"If it isn't everyone's favorite little bedbug," he purred as he stopped in front of her. "You can be my bedbug tonight."

Careen smiled mysteriously. "I don't think I will. I can find someone to love me for me and not for my body," she replied.

Malik was so shocked at having been rejected that he did not notice the woman sail past him with a triumphant grin gracing her features. Finally, he looked toward the door she had closed moments before. He grudgingly allowed a small smile to tug up the corner of his lips.

XDXDXDXDXD

Bakura's eyebrows narrowed in his sleep as a peculiar dripping on his forehead bothered him. After a second and third drip, he finally opened his eyes. He gasped as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and his gaze fell on the laser gun pointed at his head. He looked down his body at the person straddling him.

"You still sleep like a rock," Anzu told him lightly.

"I no longer have a bounty on my head," Bakurainformed her,equally casual.

"So I heard," she replied. She shrugged. "But a man who doesn't tell the woman he loves how he feels deserves to be shot."

His heart leapt in his chest at the smile playing on her lips. Slowly, a teasing grin spread on his face. He pulled the gun from her hand and tossed it over the side of the bed. He rested his hands on her thighs.

"Well, can I bribe you with a piece of ass instead?" he asked seriously. She appeared thoughtful.

"That just might work," she replied. They both shared a laugh.

She leaned forward, her wet hair brushing his cheeks coolly as her lips lowered to meet his passionately. After a breathless minute, she pulled back a few inches.

"So, do you?" she whispered.

"Do I what?" he asked knowingly.

"You know."

He chuckled. "Yes, I do."

Happiness welled up in Anzu's breast. With her heart pounding, she said, "Me, too."

_The End_

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Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this story. It really means so much to me! Thank you for the wonderful reviews and encouragement. If you liked this story, I really hope you'll continue on to **read the sequel, Target: Destiny.** The first chapter will be posted shortly. A summary is below. Thanks again to everyone, and I hope to see you around!

**Target: Destiny - A/U - Yami Bakura x Anzu; Bakura and Anzu have been happily married as king and queen of Bakura for the past four years-when they're not biting each other's heads off, that is. However, someone seems to admire Anzu; but, what starts out as admiration turns into obsession. And if her stalker can't have her, then nobody will...**

Lastly, I've just opened a Yami Bakura x Anzu fandom site for fanfiction and fanart. I beg of you all to visit it and submit works of your own! I'm going to be collecting a lot of works over the next few weeks to build it up. **Please visit Vexation at http:an-eternityDOTcom/vexation.**


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